Starbase Surge sees SpaceX speed ahead with Booster 4 and Ship 20 - NASASpaceFlight.com - NASASpaceflight.com
July 30, 2021.
July 29, 2021.July 29, 2021.April 21, 2021.February 27, 2021.April 12, 2021.March 16, 2021.April 21, 2021!February 27, 2021.July 30, 2021.July 28, 2021.July 17, 2021.July 8, 2021.April 12, 2021.March 16, 2021.July 31, 2021.July 30, 2021July 28, 2021In a marked increase to the already-impressive production cadence at SpaceX Starbase, it’s all hands on deck with Booster 4 and Ship 20 preparations ahead of the duo being sent to the launch siteElon Musk has since confirmed that Starbase is in a “Warp 9” surge
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2021Tweaks to the forward plan remain on the cards, with Elon Musk tweeting, “Grid fin designs clearly work, but do they maximize payloadHowever, its actual pad destination has yet to be confirmed, as much as it’s highly likely to be the Orbital Launch Site (OLS) based on recent tweets from Elon Musk
The 370-ton piece of hardware will host the booster and provide the hold-down points, receiving the title “Stage Zero” from Chief Engineer Elon Musk on TwitterStage Zero, which is everything needed to launch & catch the rocket, is at least as hard as the booster or ship— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 31, 2021However, a lot of work remains before a Booster can be fully tested on the table, which led to the assumption Booster 4 would first pay a visit to the Suborbital launch siteAs per usual, Elon Musk often provides good clues to the near-term plans, referencing the Launch Table installation with “Needs to be level & match booster fittings— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 24, 2021— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 25, 2021