SpaceX has completed construction of Launch Tower 2 on Orbital Launch Pad B in Starbase, Texas, in record time, enabling the next phase of preparation, which includes the installation of its own chopstick system. Preparations are also underway on Orbital Launch Pad A’s Tower 1 to prepare it for the launch of Flight 5 and a possible capture of Booster 12.
SpaceX recently announced that Flight 5’s vehicles, Ship 30 and Booster 12, are ready to fly. Teams have been applying decals to Ship 30, including a small Mechazilla decal that symbolizes the goal of this mission: to capture the booster.
Cool new Mechazilla sticker added on S30. 🚀🔥
@NASASpaceflight pic.twitter.com/QZF7nLBJnP
– Mary (@BocaChicaGal) 22 August 2024
SpaceX has not applied decals to boosters in the past, but given the time available to teams and the importance of this mission, Booster 12 may still receive a paint job and special decals.
Flight 5 will likely take several more weeks, even assuming the vehicle is ready. SpaceX also needs regulatory approval for that mission, including the booster’s Return To Launch Site (RTLS) approach.
Pad A and B14.1 tests
Preparations for the capture are already underway on Pad A. Teams are testing Booster 14.1 again by “hitting” it, this time with both arms. SpaceX is also using new bumpers for the strikes compared to last time.
After B14.1 was removed from the Orbital Launch Mount (OLM), teams began exposing all of the major welds on the rod arms. Once exposed, reinforcement plates were welded onto the welds to strengthen them.
Chopstick doubling plates (Source: BocaChicaGal for NSF/L2)
The teams have also installed a new set of bumpers that are made not from foam or rubber, but from a pressure-resistant metal structure.
SpaceX is also removing some of the landing rail dampers recently installed on the chopsticks and replacing even more hardware.
During capture, as the booster arrives, both arms close rapidly, potentially hitting the booster right on the methane tank. The booster then slides down the control sticks until the lift pins touch the landing rails, which helps slow the booster and acts as a shock absorber. Then the pins rest in the trays and the engines shut down.
After engine shutdown, the booster will be secured and held in the air by the stabilizer arms. The booster will likely be placed on a transport stand, as SpaceX has no way to put a booster back on the OLM immediately after a flight because the alignment pins are not installed.
Larger gussets are installed on Pad A Tower (Source: BocaChicaGal for NSF/L2)
Teams added larger gussets to the first section of the tower. These plates help strengthen the connection between the diagonal cross members and the horizontal beams, possibly in anticipation of the upcoming capture test. Crews also added a stop to the Ship Quick Disconnect Arm (SQD) so that the QD can rest on a pole after retraction to protect it from the pressure loads from the missile exhaust.
Given the amount of work going on around Pad A, it’s largely impossible to predict when SpaceX will be ready to launch Flight 5 from that pad. It’s going to be a game of waiting until all the equipment around the launch site is cleaned up to see when crews might be ready.
Cushion B
The tower at Pad B at Starbase is now fully populated. SpaceX completed it in just 41 days, which is faster than the other two towers that were built. This tower is also much more complete because all the utilities were installed beforehand.
Module 9 is stacked on Pad B Tower (Source: BocaChicaGal for NSF/L2)
When the tower is fully stacked, teams will need to weld all the modules together and fill the columns with concrete. Once this is complete, teams can finish the tracks for the chopstick cart, which will be needed before the cart can be installed on the tower. This could happen before the end of the year, as SpaceX only has the CC8800-1 crane until January 2025; however, this deadline can be extended if necessary.
In addition to installing the rods, a complete quick-release arm is also needed for the ship. So far, there is no sign of this being built, and SpaceX is unlikely to use the one built at Roberts Road, as it is far outdated at this point.
Once the chopstick cart is installed, the conveyor system must also be installed and run through the tower. A complete trench and base must be built and installed. All feedstock lines, pumps and subcoolers must be installed and connected to the current tank farm.
All in all, SpaceX still has about 12 months of work ahead of it.
Featured image: Two stacked towers at Starbase (Source: BocaChicaGal for NSF/L2)
