SpaceX upgrades everything on Starship 24 for orbital launch incoming
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Starship Gazer:
LabPadre:
Ezekiel Overstreet:
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Every day we look at SpaceX’s progress in Boca Chica, there’s something new to see every time.
And after nearly 4 years of development, from Starhopper, the SpaceX team is now working on Ship 24 to make the first orbital flight. As the result, there are many important upgrades on this prototype.
So, what are the differences between Ship 24 and its predecessors?
Is this finally ready for launch?
Why Starship’s first Orbital flight is very important?
Find out everything about this in today’s episode of Alpha Tech:
SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas hardware endeavors began in an empty field in late 2018, kicking off Starhopper testing in 2019. In late 2019 and early 2020, the company began building the bones of the factory that exists today, relying heavily on several giant tents (“sprung structures”) similar to those used by Tesla. SpaceX has already begun the process of replacing those tents with larger, permanent buildings, but two of the original tents continue to host crucial parts of the Starship manufacturing process.
In terms of useful output, that manufacturing slowed down a bit in 2022. That slowdown can likely be partially explained by the need to move equipment and processes into the first finished section of Starfactory.
But in general, SpaceX was simply focused on upgrading and testing Starship S24 and Super Heavy B7 – both stages of the latest vehicle meant to attempt Starship’s first orbital launch.
The Ship 24 was equipped with the newest major upgrade, typically its nosecone.
The noses of Starships SN8, SN9, SN10, SN11, SN15, SN16, S20, and S22 have all been constructed in roughly the same way.
Altogether, something like 120 complex vertical welds would be needed just to assemble the most basic structure of a nose, followed by four or five no less complex circumferential welds to turn those sections into one cone.
SpaceX upgrades everything on Starship 24 for orbital launch incoming
