| Date | Location | Source | Headline | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30th |
Boca Chica |
TES |
SpaceX scrubs upgraded Starship launch debut....view. |
For unknown reasons, possibly including technical issues or subpar weather, SpaceX has scrubbed upgraded Starship prototype SN15’s planned Friday launch debut. |
| 29th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Starship SN15 Receives FAA Approval....view. |
Starship SN15 now has FAA approval for its test flight currently scheduled for no earlier than April 30th. Meanwhile more Raptor Vacuum engine mounts are spotted at the Production Site. |
| 28th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Starship SN15 Waiting for Flight Test....view. |
After a second static fire, Starship SN15 appears to be ready for its test flight. Crews are repairing the landing pad and removing cranes from the launch site in preparation for the flight. |
| 27th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Starship SN16 Nosecone Stacked....view. |
As Starship SN15 prepares for more testing before its flight, SN16's nosecone is stacked on its barrel section. Meanwhile more sections of the Integration Tower are prepared. |
| 26th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Starship SN15 Static Fire....view. |
Starship SN15 fires its three Raptor engines for the first time atop Suborbital Pad A. Road closures are again scheduled for Tuesday April 27th for potentially more static fire testing. |
| Boca Chica |
NSF |
Orbital Launch Site Tower Rises and SN16 Nosecone Mated....view. |
The huge Launch Integration Tower at the Orbital Launch Site continues to rise ahead of hosting Super Heavy. Meanwhile, SN16's nosecone was mated at the Production Site. |
|
| 25th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Launch Site Prepped for SN15 Static Fire & Test Flight....view. |
Crews prep Tankzilla for transport back to the Crane Shed area ahead of Starship SN15's static fire & test flight. Meanwhile a new Forward Dome is placed on the Sleeving Stand and the Integration Tower work continues. |
| 24th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Super Heavy Launch Site and BN3 Taking Shape....view. |
SpaceX's push toward an orbital launch of the Starship Launch System is being aided by the growing infrastructure at the Orbital Launch Site and the progress with Super Heavy BN3's assembly. |
| 23rd |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Super Heavy Thrust Dome Spotted....view. |
SpaceX continues to make rapid progress at the Boca Chica facility. A Super Heavy thrust dome, potentially for BN3, was spotted on Friday. Additionally, progress continues to be made on the orbital launch tower. |
| 22nd |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Test Nosecone arrives at Launch Site - RoboDogs on the Prowl....view. |
Amid a huge amount of continued work at the Orbital Launch Site, the test nosecone and rig rolled down Highway 4, greeted by SpaceX's robodogs Zeus and Apollo. |
| 21st |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Super Heavy BN2 Aft Dome Section Flipped - Orbital Launch Site Construction....view. |
BN2's Aft Dome was flipped ahead of stacking, the Liebherr LR 11350 crane was loaded onto SPMTs and moved, and work on the Orbital Launch Table and at the Orbital Launch Site continued. |
| 20th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
New Booster Dome Spotted - Starship SN16 Aft Section Lifted into Mid Bay....view. |
Starship SN16's aft section was lifted into the Mid Bay for stacking, a new booster dome labeled "B2.1 Dome" was spotted inside Tent 1, and the first piece of the launch integration tower was lifted into position. |
| 19th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Second GSE Tank Arrives at the Orbital Launch Pad....view. |
SpaceX rolled out the GSE-2 tank to the orbital launch site on Monday. Meanwhile, crews continued to assemble the crane which will stack the orbital launch tower and made progress on the nosecone testing jig. |
| 18th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Starship SN15 Static Fire set for Tuesday....view. |
Starship SN15's static fire is set for Tuesday 4/20, work on the orbital launch table continued, and an overview of the build and launch sites via car. |
| 17th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Starship SN15 prepares as Orbital Launch Site work continues....view. |
SpaceX is continuing to work on the present and the future as Starship SN15 prepares for a Static Fire and Flight Test next week, while the Orbital Launch Site readies for Super Heavy. |
| 16th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Starship SN15's Raptors Arrive - GSE 3 Forward Dome Stacked....view. |
Starship SN15's Raptor engines have been delivered to the launch site and are being prepared for installation on the vehicle. The GSE 3 tank had its forward dome section stacked atop a barrel section, work around the Orbital Launch Site continued, and Starship was selected for NASA's Artemis Program Human Landing System! |
| 15th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
New Starship SN16 Sections Lifted into the Mid Bay for Stacking....view. |
As Starship SN15 prepares for Raptor installation and further testing, new sections of SN16 are lifted into the Mid Bay for stacking. Meanwhile, Raptor engine SN56 loaded in the van for the trip back to McGregor. |
| 14th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Starship SN15 Tests its Header Tanks - Nosecone Test Rig Gets a Cap....view. |
Overnight, SpaceX tested Starship SN15's header tanks by filling them with liquid nitrogen and pressurizing them to flight pressures. Also the Nosecone Test Rig gains more parts. |
| 13th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Super Heavy BN1 Scrapping Begins....view. |
Super Heavy BN1, the manufacturing pathfinder, was cut in half overnight and more sections were sliced today. SpaceX will scrap BN1 to make room for newer booster prototypes that will implement changes and undergo testing at the launch pad....What next? |
| 12th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Super Heavy Grid Fin Spotted - SN16 Barrel Section with TPS Tiles....view. |
A grid fin for Super Heavy was loaded onto a trailer and shipped out, a section of SN16 with approximately 960 tiles was spotted, work at the orbital launch site continued, and Starship SN15 was prepped for cryo proof testing later in the day. |
| 11th |
Boca Chica |
Tes |
SpaceX installs Starlink dish on upgraded Starship prototype....view. |
In the latest in a long line of twists, SpaceX has requested permission from the FCC to operate a Starlink internet antenna installed on Starship serial number 15 (SN15). |
| Boca Chica |
NSF |
Nosecone Test Rig Gets Bigger....view. |
New sections are added to the Nosecone Test Rig (Mystery Structure). Meanwhile, COPVs are delivered to the production site, a new Super Heavy Aft Dome is on the sleeving stand, and SN15 prepares for more testing. |
|
| 10th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Starship SN15 Preparing for More Tests....view. |
Crews prepare Starship SN15 for its test campaign, potentially occurring this upcoming week with cryo proof testing. Meanwhile, crews attach new lines to the blunt nosecone with the black cap. |
| 9th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Cap Added to Nosecone in the Mystery Structure....view. |
Crews added a new black cap to the blunt nosecone that currently resides in the mystery structure. It is unknown what this new cap is for. Meanwhile, Starship SN15 freely sits on Pad A, untethered from Tankzilla. |
| 8th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Starship SN15 Rollout....view. |
Starship SN15 rolled out to the launch site and was mounted on Suborbital Pad A in preparation for cryo-proof testing with the thrust rams. Work on the next GSE tank and Orbital Launch Site continued. |
| 7th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Orbital Class Starship SN20 Dome Spotted....view. |
As Starship SN15 prepares to roll to the launch site, the Forward Dome of SN20 has been spotted, with this vehicle set to be an Orbital Class Starship. |
| 6th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
GSE Tank 1 Lifted Into Position - Thrust Ram Installed on Suborbital Pad A....view. |
The thrust simulation rams were installed on Suborbital Pad A in preparation for SN15's arrival at the launch site, GSE Tank 1 was lifted onto its mount at the orbital launch site, and construction on the foundation for the integration tower continued. |
| 5th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
GSE Tank & Crane Rolled Out to the Launch Pad....view. |
SpaceX rolled out their current largest crane, "Tankzilla", along with the first of the GSE tanks for the Orbital Launch Site. Tankzilla will also be tasked with lifting Starship SN15 onto the launch mount when it is rolled out later this week. |
| 4th |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Thrust Simulation Ram Installed for SN15 Testing....view. |
SpaceX is planning to rollout Starship SN15 as early as Monday. In preparation for its arrival, a hydraulic ram has been installed at Suborbital Pad A to simulate Raptor forces against its new Thrust Puck. |
| 3rd |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
More Sections for Super Heavy BN3 Spotted - Starship SN15 Wiggles its Flaps....view. |
Rings sections for BN3's aft are spotted at the production site. Meanwhile, the crane is still attached to Starship SN15 in the High Bay as crews move its aft flaps. |
| 2nd |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Starship SN15 Now Fully Stacked....view. |
Starship SN15's nosecone was lifted onto its tank section inside of the High Bay. SN15 is an upgraded version of the previous Starship prototypes that implements some major changes according to Elon. |
| 1st |
Boca Chica |
NSF |
Starship SN15 Progresses Toward Final Stacking....view. |
Starship SN15's nosecone continues to be worked on ahead of stacking with the tank section in the High Bay. Meanwhile, a new GSE tank section was moved across the production site, new flaps were delivered, as well as parts for a new crawler crane. |
NSF = Nasa Space Flight....view. Tes = Teslarati....view. Key Dates in yellow