Pad B begins to rise as Fire Static Booster 12 approaches

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SpaceX’s preparations for Starship flight 5 continue to focus on replacing the Ship 30 heat shield as teams prepare for Booster 12 to open for a static fire this coming week. Meanwhile, long-term planning centers around the construction of Pad B at the launch site.

Orbital launch pad B

SpaceX is building Orbital Launch Pad (OLP) B after teams have deployed the Tower 1 module at the launch site.

However, this has yet to be placed on the stack as teams work to prepare the corner adapters. With Hurricane Beryl currently threatening the region, teams have also deployed the CC8800-1 to protect it from the storm.

SpaceX is also taking a different approach with this tower in terms of how the base is designed and assembled compared to the original tower next door. SpaceX built an all-concrete base and armor with the first tower before adding steel cladding after Flight 2. Pad B will be a hollow steel structure filled with concrete, giving it the necessary strength and protection from discharges during departures.

Another difference is that the teams added cargo lines and cryogenic propulsion lines inside the modules at Sanchez before the modules were rotated and assembled at the launch site.

Currently, SpaceX is only two towers short of Sanchez. These are now at the Port of Brownsville awaiting shipment to Sanchez, along with the stick arms and cart from Florida.

During Tim Dodd’s tour of Starbase, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk mentioned that this tower would be taller than the one currently located at Pad A. However, according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) filings, SpaceX wants to stack this tower by mid-August. So far, no additional tower columns have appeared, so it seems unlikely.

Ship 31 Cryo Tested (Again)

After being in the High Bay for about seven weeks after a small explosion and electrical fire on her runway, Ship 31 returned to Masseys to complete her cryo testing. During the presentation, it appears that SpaceX replaced the highway in its entirety and repaired any other damage caused by the anomaly.

Once at the Masseys, Ship 31 will complete two cryo tests, including testing the new Liquid Oxygen Valve that is on these later ships. With Hurricane Beryl on the way, SpaceX will most likely return Shuttle 31 back to the High Bay before a possible landing to protect the ship.

Based on the ship’s past readiness, Ship 31 could be ready for static fire testing within two to three months. After that, SpaceX could still replace its entire heat shield, as it is doing with Shuttle 30. If that’s the case, Shuttle 31 might not be ready to fly until October or November of this year.

Possible introduction of Booster 12 and Static Fire

Booster 12, which has been in Mega Bay 1 since January 23, is likely to be released to the Orbital Launch Mount (OLM) as early as July 8 or 9. However, depending on Hurricane Beryl, this could be pushed back a bit. days if Highway 4 floods.

Along with the intermittent shutdowns, SpaceX has requested test shutdowns for July 9, 10 and 11. All three are from 08:00 to 20:00.

This presentation would involve Booster 12 performing a static fire with 33 engines and possibly turning back while waiting for its other half to be ready for full testing. SpaceX will most likely not put the Hot Stage Ring on Booster 12 for a static fire opening and will instead use the new white booster cover to help keep the front dome clean and covered.

Vessel 30 Heat protection work

Over the past few weeks, SpaceX has replaced Ship 30’s heat shield and added new ablative materials and stronger plates. So far, it appears that the ship’s tank parts will now have four layers of material. Flaps are also getting Pyron material.

The first is what looks like Pyron, a carbon fiber material that will act as an ablative layer over the primary structure in the event that the primary heat shield, the plates, fails. The next two layers are the felt blankets and mesh material that have already been part of the heat shield up to this point. These provide insulation and a stabilizing material to make it easier to place the tiles on the studs. Finally, the main heat shield is the plate.

So far, the newer tiles don’t seem to have any noticeable visual changes and work just like the older ones. With this upgrade, SpaceX can lose the plates on the shuttle, but have a spare layer to ensure the shuttle makes it through reentry.

Along with the addition of Pyron, the teams have added new types of gap filler to the nose pads and cowlings. What appears to be stainless steel tape and a blue RTV silicone sealant have been added to fill some of the gaps. RTV is room temperature vulcanizing silicone. Cures at room temperature and depending on the mix. can withstand temperatures up to 650 degrees Fahrenheit.

SpaceX still has a ways to go to complete the Ship 30 heat shield, and once it’s done, it needs to be transported to Masseys new static fire stand to test the new Raptor Vacuum engine that was installed.

Orbital launch space A

At the launch site, SpaceX has removed all the old vertical tanks from the Orbital Tank Farm (OTF). SpaceX had already fully switched to horizontal tanks for Flight 4.

SpaceX has two new liquid methane tanks, which are currently being stored in Sanchez. These can be moved into open space to increase capacity as SpaceX plans to attach this tank farm to OLP B once the tower and assembly are complete.

SpaceX has also been steadily repairing OLP A and upgrading the sticks in preparation for a grab on Flight 5. Teams have also been working on the Ship’s Quick Detach (QD) wing after one of the main thruster lines was replaced.

The teams still have work to do to prepare for Flight 5 regarding the OLP and both vehicles, but it looks like Flight 5 won’t happen until around mid-August or possibly September.

Main image: Tower Module 1 waiting to be assembled (Credit: Sean Doherty for NSF/L2)