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@TheCosmicNebu1a
Author of Dimensional Pockets II and The Cosmos Series of mods for Minecraft, Java Developer, avid gamer and spaceflight nerd.
Writer for @TrackingTheSB
Phoenix, AZ
Joined January 2020
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Starbase This Week (2026-07-05) | Written by @TheCosmicNebu1a
SpaceX have been playing musical ships this week, and putting the Pad 2 Deluge system through its paces. Welcome to this week’s Starbase This Week.
Launch Site
Over at the Launch site, the teams have been hard at work preparing Pad 1 for its inaugural upgrade to the same design as Pad 2.
The deluge has been put through its paces again this week, with a total of 4 tests, two on Monday, one on Tuesday and finally one on Wednesday. Despite the fact that the deluge worked with seemingly minor issues for Flight 12, SpaceX are clearly unhappy with its performance or reliability given the sheer number of tests they have performed since Flight 12. Interestingly, two of the tests were observed to be different to most previous ones, with the consensus being that they are likely simulating a Booster or Ship landing burn, similarly to Pad 1 firing its plate during those operations.
Production Site
Over at the production site, vehicle sections have been flowing out of the Starfactory and into the Bays. Starting out on Monday, both Booster 22’s CX:3 and A2:4 sections were rolled into MB1 for stacking, keeping pace with both Booster 20 and 21’s production schedules.
Ship 42 wasn’t left out either, with S42’s N:3 and FX:4 sections rolled into MB2 for stacking operations. This gives us almost 3 complete vehicles for both Booster and Ship, giving SpaceX a lot of flexibility for upcoming flights. With the way things are shaping up, either S41 or S42 could be the first to go orbital for the first time in the history of the program.
Massey's
SpaceX has been playing a game of musical ships this week, with S40 and S41 both trading places at Massey’s.
Starting out on Monday, S41 underwent its first two cryogenic proofing tests, with the second being a long-duration test with fluid levels held for hours. S41 then returned to MB2 on Tuesday, where it was removed from the Cryo Stand. S40 then followed suit, heading out to Massey’s on Wednesday. S40 then completed a full 6 engine, 60 second long-duration static fire. SpaceX then posted footage on Thursday, which is a good indicator that the test was successful.
S40 then returned from Massey’s on Thursday. S41 was then again placed on the Cryo Stand and rolled to Massey’s on Friday for seemingly another round of cryo testing. At the time of writing, S41 has not yet performed this testing, likely due to the Independence Day weekend.
Do you think SpaceX will manage to hit their goal of Flight 13 in mid-July, with Flight 14 being less than a month after that?
For real-time updates, join us in the Discord: https://t.co/hgUICqZizc
To explore our maps yourself and track every movement, check out our Figma, now at both Starbase and Cape Canaveral:
Starbase: https://t.co/Yuwq34mpYi
Cape Canaveral: https://t.co/DW4ww1cR5I
#SpaceX #Starbase #Starship
Starbase This Week (2026-06-07) | Written by @TheCosmicNebu1a
Flight 13 vehicles continue to press ahead in their construction and testing campaigns, and Pad 2 receives some repair work after Flight 12. Welcome to this week’s Starbase This Week.
Launch Site
Over at Pad 2, work has continued on both the chopsticks and chopstick carriage in the wake of Flight 12. Workers were seen lifting and then installing one of the two newly fabricated chopstick landing rails on Wednesday, with the second being installed the next day on Thursday. It is currently unclear why these replacements are needed, it is possible that this was planned regardless, but it could also have been damage caused by Flight 12.
Workers were also seen working on the lower chopstick carriage, both welding and removing some of the rail skates. This is likely damage caused by Flight 12, and could be related to the chopsticks not being lowered into the rest position until 3 days after flight. Time will tell if these repair works will prove resilient enough to last through repeated flights. The chopsticks also performed some movement testing on Tuesday.
Marmac 31
Marmac 31 departed Brownsville on Thursday, with a Ship Transport Stand in tow. The hardware necessary to transport flight vehicles has been spotted, but is not yet ready for prime time, so it seems SpaceX are working on transport coordination with the newly ready barge.
Production Site
Over at the Production site, teams have been very busy with vehicle construction, with teams installing S41’s Right AFT Flap late on Sunday evening. Booster 20 departed Megabay 1 for Massey’s on Thursday to begin its cryogenic test campaign, sporting some temporary writing on the forward dome area, which is likely left over from stacking operations. B21’s LOX landing tank was moved from the Starfactory on Thursday. Late on Saturday night, B21’s AX:2 section was also rolled into Megabay, completing the AFT section of the booster once welded into place.
Massey's
Starting off the week on Monday, the LOX Landing Tank test article was filled with cryogenic fluids for the first time since the 26th of May. Booster 20 arrived at Massey’s on Thursday and got to work almost immediately, with it completing its Ambient Pressure Test the same night. Booster 20 then got frosty ahead of its first full cryo test on Saturday. This test was longer than we have seen before on average, with the LOX tank being held for quite some time. It then detanked into Friday night. B20’s second cryo test is underway as this article is being posted.
And not to be left out of the fun, B18.3 performed its 20th test on the same day as the LOX Landing Tank.
When do you think SpaceX will successfully launch Flight 13? June, July, August or later into 2026?
For real-time updates, join us in the Discord: https://t.co/hgUICqZQoK
To explore our maps yourself and track every movement, check out our Figma, now at both Starbase and Cape Canaveral:
Starbase: https://t.co/Yuwq34mXNQ
Cape Canaveral: https://t.co/DW4ww1doVg
#SpaceX #Starbase #Starship
Starship’s twelfth flight test will debut the next generation Starship and Super Heavy vehicles, powered by the next evolution of the Raptor engine and launching from a newly designed pad at Starbase. The launch is targeted as early as Tuesday, May 19 → https://t.co/2gZQUxS6mm
Starbase This Week (2026-05-03) | Written by @TheCosmicNebu1a
SpaceX continues to prep Pad 2 and both vehicles for Flight 12, S40 heads to Massey’s for cryo testing, and the first of many notices has been posted this week. Welcome to this week’s Starbase This Week.
Launch Site
SpaceX’s focus this week has been on the GSE (Ground Support Equipment) of Pad 2. We have seen numerous deluge tests, including the top deck in what appears to be an effort to fix the issues they mentioned in the first episode of the Starship Documentary posted last week. They mentioned that for both B19 static fire attempts, that the GSE of the deluge called an automatic abort, and as such the increased testing may be an attempt to narrow down those issues.
However that testing was not without its own issues, as during a deluge test on Saturday what appears to be a Gas Combustor had an energetic event and was flung high into the air, followed by the deluge shutting down.
Pad 2’s Tower SQD (Ship Quick Disconnect) has also been put through its paces, with lots of retraction tests, as well as purging seen throughout the week. The SQD is one of the last unknowns for Flight 12 as a Booster has been tested on the OLM (Orbital Launch Mount), but a Ship has yet to be put on Pad 2.
On Thursday, for the first time since Pad 2 has started testing we saw a synchronised retraction of the OLM Hold Down Arms as well as both BQDs (Booster Quick Disconnect). This is a key operation for Launch, as the timing is key to facilitate a clean liftoff.
Pad 1 wasn’t spared from the action either, as the first steps towards upgrading the Pad to the same standard as Pad 2 have started. The GSE Bunker has begun construction with the steel frame beginning to take shape.
Production Site
B20 continues construction, with the Landing Tank Stand seen heading into MB1 on Wednesday, likely meaning that B20 is now fully stacked and ready for cryo testing in the coming weeks.
S41 also progressed, with its N:7 section being added on Tuesday, and its A2:3 section later being added on Friday.
Masseys
Massey’s was relatively quiet this week, with the LOX Landing Tank lifted into the nosecone jail on Thursday, and B18.3 completing its 14th cryo test on Friday.
S40 then rolled from the Production site on Saturday, despite the very bad weather at Starbase over the weekend. S40 will be paired with B20 for Flight 13, and both are shaping up to cruise through their testing campaigns, with SpaceX / Elon targeting a launch-to-launch of only a month.
Other
The first notice has been posted for Flight 12, showing off a new trajectory and providing us with some tentative launch dates. The Notice gives May 12th at 17:30 CDT as the primary launch date with backups May 13th through 18th.
That is all for this week. How well do you think S40 will do during its testing campaign? Do you think SpaceX will hit their 1 month target for Starship Flight 13 after Flight 12? We’ll see you next week for yet another Starbase This Week.
For real-time updates, join us in the Discord: https://t.co/hgUICqZizc
To explore our maps yourself and track every movement, check out our Figma, now at both Starbase and Cape Canaveral:
Starbase: https://t.co/Yuwq34mpYi
Cape Canaveral: https://t.co/DW4ww1cR5I
#SpaceX #Starbase #Starship
Starbase This Week (2026-04-12) | Written by @TheCosmicNebu1a,
A comparatively quiet week this week at Starbase, with Booster 19 and Ship 39 continuing their test campaigns, as well as incremental progress on Gigabay and the Launch Site. Welcome to this week’s Starbase this Week.
Production Site
On Monday, Booster 20’s FX:3 or AFT section rolled from the Starfactory (SFC) and into MB1, this brings B20 closer than ever to being fully stacked, with only the F2:4 and F3:4 sections of the Methane tank remaining.
Later, on Tuesday Ship 50’s Nosecone was spotted on a work stand inside the SFC. That brings the total number of current ship prototypes to 12! Also on Tuesday, the Ship Two Point Lifter was sent into MB2, presumably for Ship 39 to be removed from its work stand. This was confirmed when it was hooked onto Ship 39.
Two Road Closures were posted on Thursday for Friday, one for Ship 39 to Massey’s and one for Booster 19 to the Pad. We were hoping, as I think SpaceX were, for a simultaneous double roll, but unfortunately Booster wasn’t ready in time, and S39 departed alone.
A Beach Closure covering Sunday, with backups for Monday through Wednesday was posted on Friday.
Massey's
Midweek on Wednesday, S39.1 underwent its 12th cryogenic test at the Massey’s test site. It is still unclear why SpaceX are testing S39.1 so thoroughly. On Thursday SpaceX activated their Massey’s TFR, returning to the larger area used a few times before. The TFR covers Saturday 11th to Thursday 16th.
Later during the night on Thursday, S39 arrived at Massey’s and was taken straight to the new and improved Static Fire setup. It didn’t take long for it to get to it either, as the very next day the Tank Farm spooled up and S39 began filling with cryogenic propellants. S39 then performed a Spin Prime on an unknown number of engines on Saturday. On Sunday, S39 would be loaded up with propellant again and conducted a test of some sort. It is unknown if it was an igniter test or an aborted static fire.
Launch Site
Starting out the week on Monday, workers started staging water bags on the Pad 2 OLIT Ship Quick Disconnect Arm to likely verify the structural capability for future flights. It is currently unclear as to why this is necessary, as in normal operations the QD Arm shouldn’t see much in the way of vertical load.
On Saturday, Booster 19 returned to Pad 2 for further testing, likely a full 33 engine Static Fire. It was lifted later the same day, and lowered onto the OLM, with workers spending most of the night on checkouts. On Sunday afternoon, SpaceX closed Boca Chica Beach and HWY4, and B19 began filling with propellant. B19 seemingly then performed a Spin Prime on an unknown number of engines to close out testing for the day.
Miscellaneous
On Sunday, the FCC released the Launch Licenses for both Flight 12 and 13. Flight 12’s was very similar to Flight 11’s with a suborbital booster and second stage, however the Flight 13 license included for an Orbital second stage! This could mean that, all things going well, Flight 13 and Ship 40 could go to Orbit. However based on previous Starship testing campaigns, it is unlikely that Flight 13 will be orbital.
That’s it for this week, do you think that Booster 19 will static fire all its engines this coming week? Are you excited for Flight 12, because we here at Starbase Tracking certainly are! See you next week for another Starbase This Week.
For real-time updates, join us in the Discord: https://t.co/hgUICqZizc
To explore our maps yourself and track every movement, check out our Figma, now at both Starbase and Cape Canaveral:
Starbase: https://t.co/Yuwq34mpYi
Cape Canaveral: https://t.co/DW4ww1cR5I
#SpaceX #Starbase #Starship
Starbase This Week (2026-03-15) | Written by @TheCosmicNebu1a,
Pad 2 finally has a vehicle stacked on top, and I think it’s safe to say the wait has been worth it!. It also gets some action for the first time and it does not disappoint! B20 continues stacking in MB1. Welcome to this week’s Starbase This Week.
Launch Site
After more than a year of construction and various delays (looking at you Booster 18), Pad 2 finally has a vehicle stacked on top! Booster 19 is the first Block 3 flight hardware, and its first week on Orbital Launch Mount (OLM) 2 has been a busy one. On Monday, both the LOX and CH4 Booster Quick Disconnects (BQDs) opened and extended to connect to B19. Their improved design over the single BQD of the late Pad 1 allows for a much quicker propellant load, as well as quicker retraction on launch. SpaceX on Monday also confirmed via X that B19 would be used to “activate” Pad 2, including Propellant load and unload tests as well as various Raptor tests to validate both Flight and Ground Support Equipment (GSE) hardware.
B19 also performed a Grid Fin wiggle test and displayed an impressive range of motion, especially compared to the Block 2 fins. Later in the day, Pad 2’s OLM performed a few rapid back-to-back Detonation Suppression System (DSS) tests. Early on Tuesday morning, the Deputies closed HWY 4 and the Pad 2 tank farm started venting, indicating a test was on the way. Later, B19 began filling with cryogenic propellant for the first time ever atop OLM 2. It demonstrated the new BQD speed capability with a much improved fill speed compared with previous Block 2 Boosters. Whilst B19 was filled with propellant, Pad 2 performed a full DSS and Trench deluge test.
On Wednesday, the road was again closed and the tank farm began venting. B19 began filling with LOX and CH4, and later on performed what appears to have been a Spin Prime test on an unknown number of engines.
In a small twist of events, two road closures for Wednesday and Thursday were revoked, and B19 was disconnected from its BQDs. Even more confusingly, on Friday, Booster Transport Stand 3 (BTR3) was moved into position next to the OLM. The chopsticks then closed around B19 and it was lifted up off the OLM and lowered onto the transport stand. Overnight, workers were seen inspecting and working on B19’s engine bay section. This is likely the reason the closures were cancelled and B19 was lowered onto the transport stand. It is unclear at this time what work was performed.
Booster 19 was then lifted and placed back onto the OLM on Saturday with the BQDs attaching and the Chopsticks letting go. Early on Sunday, the road and beach were closed, and B19 began filling with cryogenic propellant. B19 then performed an igniter test on an unknown number of engines. Once complete, B19 then proceeded to begin detank operations. That was a tank to test to detank in just over 2 hours!
Massey's
S39.1 was lifted on Monday with a cap being installed to it later in the day. S39.1 has been at Massey’s for a while, and it has conducted quite a few cryo tests. It is currently unclear just what 39.1 is being used to validate.
Production Site
Early in the week on Monday, B20’s A5:4 section was rolled from the Starfactory (SFC) to MB1 for stacking. B20 is yet again displaying the increased stack cadence SpaceX are targeting with Block 3. B20 is following a similar cadence to B18, which is fast, but slower than B19. The rest of B20’s transfer tube was rolled from SFC to MB1 on Friday.
That’s all for this week, do you think we will get our first Block 3 booster Static Fire this coming week? How do you think B19 did during all these tests?
For real-time updates, join us in the Discord: https://t.co/hgUICqZizc
To explore our maps yourself and track every movement, check out our Figma, now at both Starbase and Cape Canaveral:
Starbase: https://t.co/Yuwq34mpYi
Cape Canaveral: https://t.co/DW4ww1cR5I
#SpaceX #Starbase #Starship
The first Starship V3 has left the build site to begin prelaunch testing
Starbase This Week (2026-02-08) | Written by @TheCosmicNebu1a
Booster 19 has been the center of attention this week, seemingly passing its test campaign thus far. Fingers crossed B19 survives testing! Welcome to this week's Starbase This Week!
Production Site
Overall, a relatively quiet week for Starfactory and the Megabays. Ship 40’s FWD was spotted on Wednesday, followed by its FX:4 rolling into MB2 later that day. Booster 20’s A2:4 section was spotted rolling into Megabay 1 on Thursday, with its C:X section following it on Friday. Gigabay progress was steady throughout the week, with views from NSF and Avid Space cameras being slowly more and more obscured.
Launch Site
Pad 2’s OLM was tested on Monday, with the DSS and Deluge systems being tested ahead of the first Block 3 Full Stack flight. Getting this right is key to the rapid reusability goals SpaceX have for Starship, so thorough testing is necessary and expected. Pad 1’s Chopsticks were opened manually, presumably for further modifications or upgrade works ahead of Pad 1’s full refurbishment.
Workers began on the new Launch Site expansion plans, with teams working to mark out the area for the security wall and base concrete. This new expansion includes many new facilities such as Liquid Nitrogen Liquefaction, Water Storage and 2 new staging pads for vehicles ahead of flights. The new expansion also includes a dedicated Liquid Methane (LCH4) Generation Plant which will aid flight cadence by reducing reliance on truck deliveries.
Massey’s
SpaceX wasted no time with B19, with it being subjected to an ambient pressure test the same day it arrived at Massey’s. After this test was completed, workers removed a section of Chine to inspect for damage. It is unclear at this time if SpaceX checked proactively, or if something indicated that an inspection was needed. With that test out of the way, B19 was then loaded with Liquid Nitrogen (LN2) in the Liquid Oxygen (LOX) tank on Monday to mark B19 and Block 3’s first ever cryogenic test. It was then loaded with both LOX and LN2 on Wednesday with both tanks being held full for several hours. B19 also demonstrated Block 3’s new vent locations and pattern.
A crane was moved into position over B18.3 and hooked up on Tuesday, with teams working to cut B18.3 in half. The top half was cut and lowered later that same day. S39.1 also had some action with a round of cryo testing also on Tuesday. B19 was then tested for a third time on Friday, with a fourth test being conducted on Saturday.
That is all for this week! Do you think B19 will survive and become the first Block 3 Booster to fly?
For real-time updates, join us in the Discord: https://t.co/hgUICqZizc
To explore our maps yourself and track every movement, check out our Figma, now at both Starbase and Cape Canaveral:
Starbase: https://t.co/Yuwq34mpYi
Cape Canaveral: https://t.co/DW4ww1cR5I
#SpaceX #Starbase #Starship
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The team’s thoughts on 2026
Our team this year has been working hard to track Starship and more. Here's their thoughts on 2025…
“SpaceX's progress in 2025 felt like 10 steps forward, 5 steps backwards. They pushed the boundaries and found success, but also saw failure on what I would describe as fundamentals" - @TheCosmicNebu1a, SBTW Writer
“Yes, SpaceX did make progress in 2025. It may not be as much as they would have hoped, but they got Block 2 working, stacked 2 Block 3 boosters and stacked 1 Block 3 Ship. They also completed the majority of Pad 2 and have started construction on the GigaBay in Starbase and Florida.” - @lewisknaggs42, 3D Artist
“I would say that SpaceX certainly did make progress in areas that are vital for future operations, especially with Pad 2 and Starship Florida development. However, the repeated failures of Block 2 greatly affected what they could do in terms of vehicle design, though they started to bounce back with Block 3 production in the final few months despite losing B18.” - @V4RG0N, Figma Updater
“Coming into this year, I had expected a lot from the program; vehicles could land with accuracy, but there were a few problems, so I had expected Block 2 to fix them. Then S33 happened, I thought it was just a glitch in the system, a new ship, a new design, S34 would fix it. Then S34 exploded, then S35 spun out of control. Ok, might’ve been more than a glitch, let's take some time for S36, and then that exploded in the first static fire failure since SN8, I think. Clearly some problems. But then two successful back-to-back flights of S37 and S38 brought my hopes back up; they finally deployed a payload into space, albeit suborbital. So in terms of the program, I don't think much progress was made, purely because of the four consecutive failures in different ways.” - @KangasSpaceroo, SBTW Lead Writer
“Yes, they did make progress, a lot of progress. Even tho they had hardships this year, they are now much more experienced and knowledgeable than they were this time last year. Another thing to not ignore is all the groundwork; there is no way we can not call all the pad B, sfc, Gb(s) and Florida pads progress. We may not be as far as we wanted this time this year, but even still, we are much further from where we were” - @CopelandCa2810, Live Updater
“Yes, absolutely, re-flying B14 and B15 was a huge milestone and was really cool to see.” - @DarthMac_OG, Figma Updater
“Starship made no progress. Block 2 was a failure and did not achieve its goals.” - @Thousand_______, SBTW Writer
“In terms of progress - SpaceX made a huge substantial progress if you look deeper than just vehicle flights, with upgrades to the booster and ship and tower overtime; With booster reuse being the first big one as it shows that even after a harsh flight - SpaceX still managed to refurbish and retest a flight proven booster of this scale (which hasn't been done before) - and the smaller upgrades that improved reliability such as igniters upgrades to improve redundancy of the raptors relighting on boost back (Booster 14 & Booster 15) - they even have tested flight profiles simulating the next generation of boosters with the 5 engine landing burn which with the new engine layout makes sense as its more asymmetrical.
With Ship there has been its ups and downs but still progress seen, starting with the fire suppression system in the aft side of the ship (with the explosion of Ship 33 & Ship 34) also brought more vent cutouts which were supposed to help counter any issues regarding it - then also the new style of E-TVC which originally ship had its own style but then moved to a more booster standard and it hopefully has improved ship control during the landing burn (as Booster ETVC should be strong) then the most big part was the aerodynamic banking as it showed that this ship can do maneuvers unseen before while only currently simulating a tower catch but soon hopefully an actual catch with a ship!
OLIT side is one of the least looked over sides of Starship Progress - with the construction of Pad B has shown all of the data they've gained despite damage to the pad and tower has allowed for changes to be made for the new generation of launch pad - with the newly designed OLM which has the new water deck flame systems allowing for it to survive the harsh effects of liftoff and the newer style of booster quick disconnect's which remove the need of extra hardware. And the newer chopsticks and actuators, which aren't only lighter but proven to be faster with their changes.” - @CyberguruG8073, SBT Founder
“I think 2025 was a good year for Starship development, yes there was failures but I'd rather they happen sooner rather than later on when something important could be lost, despite failures SpaceX did also achieve some pretty substantial goals with catching and reusing two boosters, showing the pure resilience of their teams and the shear strength of Ship on reentry with it landing softly with multiple holes in the tanks.” @Space_Mr_Banana, SBTW Writer
Overall, these are some pretty good outlooks on 2025 from the team. Now for some thoughts on what we expect from 2026…
"2026 is likely shaping up to be an incredible year for Starship, with 2 Gigabay’s planned to be operational, as well as Block 3 desperately needing to prove itself after Block 2's history of repeated failures. Brand new ground infrastructure to support an increased cadence adds even more to the workload, as well as their obligations to NASA with HLS. I don't foresee it being easy, but SpaceX never backs down from a challenge" - @TheCosmicNebu1a, SBTW Writer
“In 2026, I expect Block 3 to be successful in the first or second launch. I expect Boosters to be reused multiple times and ships to be recovered - maybe one gets reflown by the end of the year (if first catch is sooner rather than later). I expect both Starbase and Florida Giga bays to have most, if not all, work done on the main structure, and I expect to start to see work on the Florida Starfactory. I think we will get the refuelling demo done, and it will be successful. I expect a couple of launches out of Florida. As to variants - we may see a proper tanker version, and we will see a lot more hardware on the HLS.” - @lewisknaggs42, 3D Artist
“For 2026, I expect SpaceX to get a good start with Block 3 development, with no major issues during repeated flight profiles, and mostly successful missions when flying new profiles. I expect that the amount of new infrastructure in Florida will grow even faster than it did in 2025, and hopefully, they will be ready to receive vehicles by the end of the year. I expect to see a lot more visual progress with HLS and, hopefully, hardware for a flight article in production. Overall, I expect 2026 will be what the expectations were for 2025, but done in a more orderly fashion and with less mistakes.” - @V4RG0N, Figma Updater
“In 2026, I hope they keep the momentum from flights 10 and 11, though I do have my worries about Block 3 and Raptor 3. Orbital with a payload is the bare minimum this year; moon landing demonstration is the ceiling. I expect to land somewhere in between there.” - @KangasSpaceroo, SBTW Lead Writer
“For 2026, I can't wait for the first ship catch and orbital refilling. Maybe we actually will see the first Starship launch from Florida next year too!” - @CopelandCa2810, Live Updater
“We will have to wait and see how much block 2 a stepping stone is for block 3.” - @Thousand_______, SBTW Writer
“And lastly, the flame trench design (which, with a similar design to Masseys - not fully), but will hopefully improve turnaround time between flights as there is less charring and damage to the OLM, allowing for a faster refurbishment time. - which has shown SpaceX has come far with OLIT side as well)
And the biggest change of them all the brand new raptor 3; which is one of the most complex rocket engines - making the older folks believe its a incomplete engine (we love you still Tory) with removing most of the protection shielding (but not fully) and with the newer design doesn't require raptor qd's booster side (said in OLIT part) and makes it more simplified since less hardware is required but also improving costs with simplifying lots of other hardware on the raptor itself.” - @CyberguruG8073, SBT Founder
“2026 promises to be a very exciting year. I am very much looking forward to hopefully seeing a full HLS mockup get tested and for the other starship variants (tanker and depot). I expect flight 12 to go well, but probably launch in April after some issues are experienced GSE side. I do think Elon's statement "ship catch flight 13-15" is very possible, and I think they will get reusability down.” @Space_Mr_Banana, SBTW Writer
Well well well… 2025 has been a blast, in many ways quite literally. Thanks for sticking with us for all of the events of the past year. Here's to an awesome, record-breaking 2026 that brings humanity that much closer to being a space-faring civilization, and Happy New Year from the Starbase Tracking team!
For real-time updates, join us in the Discord: https://t.co/hgUICqZizc
To explore our maps yourself and track every movement, check out our Figma, now at both Starbase and Cape Canaveral:
Starbase: https://t.co/Yuwq34mpYi
Cape Canaveral: https://t.co/DW4ww1cR5I
#SpaceX #Starbase ,
Starbase This Week (2025-11-23) | Written By @TheCosmicNebu1a
An action-packed week where SpaceX decided to pull out all the stops, and an unfortunate event later in the week. Welcome to this week’s Starbase This Week.
Production Site
Pad 2’s Ship Quick Disconnect (SQD) Arm was loaded onto SPMTs on Monday which was later transported to the Launch Site on Tuesday.
Booster 18 was lifted onto its Thrust Sim on Wednesday and rolled out later that day. B18 was originally slated to roll midday on Wednesday, however this was delayed by SpaceX. B18 then rolled to Massey’s overnight on Thursday ahead of its Cryogenic test campaign.
Ship 39 was also spotted being lifted onto the center work station on Wednesday after its aft was installed last week. S39.1 caught us all by surprise when it rolled out of the Starfactory (SFC) late Wednesday night. S39.1 spent a few weeks inside SFC for currently unknown reasons.
After sitting in the Rocket Garden since March 2025, B17 had some of its COPVs (Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels) removed before being rolled into MegaBay 1 (MB1) ahead of scrapping on Wednesday. B17 was originally meant to fly with S38, however due to the S36 ‘event’, it was made redundant. B17’s first operation inside MB1 was being cut in half on Thursday and then separated onto two work stands. Throughout the week, sections of B17 were seen leaving MB1 and heading for the scrapyard. On Friday, sections of the methane tank were seen leaving MB1.
Launch Site
Starting off the week with the first of six OLM Legs toppled at Pad 1 on Sunday, with the second downed on Monday. The third and fourth were demolished on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. The first two legs were toppled directly from the base, however the other four were first weakened with a hydraulic jackhammer. It is unclear why this approach was taken, however the dynamic conditions and continuous modifications Pad 1 has received will have played a factor in SpaceX’s approach to demolition. The fifth and final legs were toppled on Thursday and Friday respectively. Thanks for everything, OLM 1!
Pad 1’s Chopsticks also received attention, with one having its landing rail removed. From what has been observed so far, SpaceX seems to intend to shorten the Chopsticks in position, rather than removing the entire assembly and rolling it to Sanchez. Removal of ancillaries such as the landing rails is a requirement before the chopsticks can be shortened. This was then confirmed on Thursday when SpaceX hooked up a crane to the end section of the left chopstick where it was cut and released.
Pad 2 was not spared from the action, with the “Ibeproofin” test structure being removed on Tuesday. “Ibeproofin” was for ensuring the hold clamps are aligned and for verifying they can withstand the forces put on them during flight operations. The Methane (CH4) Quick Disconnect also performed a retraction test on Wednesday. The SQD Arm arrived at Pad 2 on Tuesday, with workers rigging it to the LR11000 throughout most of Wednesday. The weather seemed to play a factor with workers seen repeatedly attempting to rig the hoist assembly. Early Friday morning, the LOX QD hood was removed for unknown reasons.
The SQD arm was then lifted and rotated on Saturday afternoon ahead of being lifted up to the tower and installed on Sunday morning.
Massey’s
B18 was positioned on Thursday, ready for the first-ever Block 3 Booster Cryogenic test campaign. Activity was then seen at Massey’s on Thursday evening as SpaceX began a “gas system pressure test”. Unfortunately, this test was never to be completed as B18 experienced a sudden energetic event in the small hours of Friday morning. The LOX tank unzipped from around one of the chines and released any pressure it had built up, leaving in its wake a gaping hole in the side of the booster. It is currently unclear what exactly caused this event, SpaceX released a statement on X saying, “Booster 18 suffered an anomaly during routine gas system pressure testing… in advance of structural proof testing” later going on to say, “teams need time to investigate before we are confident of the cause”. There are several theories held by the spaceflight community; however, we are still waiting for SpaceX to investigate. The LR11000 was seen heading toward Massey’s with a load-spreader in tow on Friday.
SpaceX then later released another statement on X on Saturday morning, with them saying, “The Starbase team plans to have the next Super Heavy Booster stacked in December, which puts it on pace with the test schedule planned for Starship V3” and “Starship’s twelfth flight test remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026”. B19 is the next booster in line, which will now have taken B18’s place for Flight 12 in 2026. On Saturday morning, the LR11000 and load-spreader were hooked up to B18. Later on Saturday, teams began work on cutting B18 in half, just above the common dome. By the evening on Saturday, B18 had been cut in half with the crane lowering the CH4 tank down to the ground shortly after 20:30 local. Teams would next connect the load spreader to the LOX tank ahead of scrapping.
B18.3 also conducted its third Cryogenic test on Tuesday.
That’s it for this week! Do you think SpaceX can still make Q1 2026 for flight 12? Will Massey’s ever be fully repaired?
For real-time updates, join us in the Discord: https://t.co/hgUICqZizc
To explore our maps yourself and track every movement, check out our Figma, now at both Starbase and Cape Canaveral:
Starbase: https://t.co/Yuwq34mpYi
Cape Canaveral: https://t.co/DW4ww1cR5I
#SpaceX #Starbase #Starship
A look at some of the creative ways our community is displaying their patch collections.
Show us how you style yours, tag @ShopNSF with your patch displays or merch photos.
What a sad day today. Love you all. Remember to remind people you love them. Rest in peace Charlie.
I try to stick to only posting about Starship related content but I just need to say that I'm deeply disturbed by what I just saw. These things have to stop.
Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on an exciting tenth flight test of Starship!
Take two...
Watch Starship's tenth flight test → https://t.co/UIwbeGoo2B https://t.co/MQg9ZAjCip
Looks like it was a 24 hour reset! See you all tomorrow!
We'll try again on Monday!
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