Daily News Updates for SpaceX Starship

31st: SpaceX Boca Chica - Starship SN9 heads to High Bay, receiving aero surfaces....view. Starship SN9 is undergoing the installation of aero surfaces, with processing now taking place in the High Bay - freeing the Mid Bay for SN10 and SN11 stacking.
30th: SpaceX Boca Chica - As Starship SN8 waits, SPMTs convoy arrives, Orbital Pad work....view. While Starship SN8 has to wait a few more days until the second Static Fire test campaign, four additional SPMTs arrived, along with large concrete blocks for the Orbital Launch Pad. The final structural test nosecone met its demise and heck, there's a lot more.
29th: SpaceX Boca Chica - Starship SN8 Static Fire preps - Future Starships amass....view. Starship SN8 is now preparing for a new series of Static Fires over the coming days, while future Starship sections continue to gather at the Production Site.
28th: - New Notam has been filed by the FAA....view. A Notam is a notice to airman issued by the Federal Aviation Authority that an exclusion zone has been created. The Notram applies to the area around the Boca Chica launch site and is vadid for 2 months from October 31st. In effect this mains that SpaceX plans to carry out altitude testing of the Starship prototype SN8 in the near future.
-do- SpaceX Boca Chica - Tankzilla crawls away from Starship SN8 ahead of testing....view. Tankzilla crawled away from Starship SN8 ahead of the upcoming test series, while beams that looked like parts for a bridge crane are becoming a Roll Lift contraption.
27th: - SpaceX executive pitches Starship for space debris cleanup....view. Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer, said the company’s next-generation Starship program could help solve the problem of space junk.
-do- SpaceX Boca Chica - Bridge Crane for Super Heavy Stacking Delivered - SN12 Nosecone Barrel Spotted....view. A forward flap was moved, SN12's nosecone barrel section was moved into the windbreak, a large crane, probably for Super Heavy stacking was moved from the Fabrication Building to next to the High Bay and work on SN8 continued.
26th: SpaceX Boca Chica - ...view. Starship SN8 was unhooked from Tankzilla's hold at the Launch Site, while additional hardware continued to stage at the Production Site at SpaceX Boca Chica.
25th: SpaceX Boca Chica - Starship Factory Drive-Thru - New Flaps Delivered and New Nosecone Moved Outside....view. Mary provides us with one of her classic driving tours of the SpaceX Boca Chica complex, new body flaps were delivered, and a new nosecone was rolled out of the production tent.
24th: SpaceX Boca Chica - SN8 head of the line as other Starships wait their turn....view. Ahead of a big week for Starship SN8 testing, future Starships are massing at the Production Site, dreaming of their upcoming flight opportunities.
23rd: SpaceX Boca Chica - Starship SN8's first day as a full stack - Next Starships Prepare....view. While the focus is on Starship SN8, enjoying her first day as a full stack Friday, SN9 and SN10 are in full preparations inside the Mid Bay, along with the HLS mock-up.
22nd: SpaceX Boca Chica - A Starship is Born: Starship SN8 Nosecone Installation in Boca Chica....view. Starship SN8's nosecone is being installed on Starship SN8 in Boca Chica, Texas ahead of the 15-kilometer hop test.
21st: SpaceX Boca Chica - SN8 Nosecone and Tankzilla Moved to Launch Site....view. Starship SN8's Nosecone was moved to the Launch Site today, along with Tankzilla, the Liebherr LR1600/2 Crawler Crane. Also, SN10's forward dome was stacked in the Mid Bay.
20th: SpaceX Boca Chica - Starship SN8 ready for nosecone arrival and mating....view. Following the first-ever triple Raptor Static Fire, Starship SN8 is now awaiting the arrival of her nosecone. Meanwhile, another nosecone is receiving a HLS (Human Landing System) makeover.
-do- SpaceX Boca Chica - SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted on twitter after the test 'Data from 3 engine Starship static fire this morning looks good. Proceeding with nosecone mate'.
-do- SpaceX Boca Chica - SN8 First Ever 3 Raptor Static Fire....view. SN8 fires up its three Raptor engines for the first time ever in this static fire test. Also included is the preburner test a few hours before.0:00 - SN8 on Pad A.
-do- SpaceX Boca Chica - SpaceX Starship fires up three Raptor engines in prelude to high-altitude flight....view. At 1:21am CDT (6:21 UTC) on October 20th, Starship SN8 ignited all three of its Raptors’ preburners, producing a spectacular fireball noticeably larger than the one produced during the rocket’s first October 19th preburner test. A mere two hours later, with no break in between, the steel rocket prototype fully ignited all three Raptor engines for the first time ever, likely producing thrust equivalent to ~90% of a nine engine Falcon 9 booster for a brief moment.
19th: SpaceX Boca Chica - SN8 Nosecone Stacked - SN8 Preburner Test Slow Motion Replay....view. After Starship SN8 enjoyed a preburner test, lining up a potential Static Fire, the vehicle's nosecone - which will be mated to SN8 after the Static Fire - was stacked.
18th: SpaceX Boca Chica - SN8 Nosecone Moved Out of Windbreak - SN8 Prepared for Static Fire Testing....view. Starship SN8 was prepared for Preburner and Static Fire Testing, expected as early as tonight. SN9 continues to be prepped for Aerosurface and Flap installation. Work on SN10 continued, and SN8's nosecone was moved out of the windbreak, and its barrel section moved in, ahead of stacking.
17th: SpaceX Boca Chica - Starship SN8 prepped for Static Fire Test....view. It's coming up on round two for Starship SN8's attempt to fire up her gang of Raptors on Sunday, with commodities already delivered to the launch site on Saturday.
16th: SpaceX Boca Chica - Starship SN8 testing scrubbed for the day as SN10 continues stacking....view. Starship SN8 conducted testing throughout the early morning on Friday which included the first propellant loading operations. However, the testing was scrubbed due to technical issues before the planned preburner and static fire tests with the three Raptor engines could occur. Meanwhile, Starship SN10 continues stacking operations in the Mid Bay.
15th: SpaceX Boca Chica - Nosecone Prepped for Stacking - SN8 Prepped for Static Fire....view. Both Fwd Flaps have been installed on the prospective SN8 nosecone, and the barrel section it'll probably be stacked onto has had lead-ins installed to aid stacking. Work on SN10 continued as SN9 was prepared for Aft Flap installation, all while SN8 was readied for static fire testing as early as tonight.
14th: SpaceX Boca Chica - SN10 Stacking Begins - SN8 Static Fire Prep....view. With Starship SN8 entering the window for a Static Fire test campaign, future Starships are being prepared, with SN10 beginning stacking operations in the Mid Bay.
13th: SpaceX Boca Chica - Forward Flaps Installed on Nosecone....view. SN8's Nosecone had its Forward Flaps installed and was moved into the windbreak for stacking on a barrel section. The workaround the Orbital Launch Pad continued with concrete being poured, some tanks were moved from the launch site to the Old Gas Well Lot, and work on SN9 continued.
12th: SpaceX Boca Chica - Starship Flight Nosecone readies for SN8....view. With Starship SN8 now hosting three Raptors ahead of a Static Fire test campaign, the flight nosecone was spotted for the first time, ahead of aero surface installation.
11th: SpaceX Boca Chica - Raptor Engines Installed on Starship SN8....view. Two Raptor Engines, SN39 and SN32 arrived at the Launch Site today for installation on Starship SN8 - though SN39 was later removed. A set of Forward Flaps were moved inside the Nosecone Production Tent and Mary provides us with excellent views of the current state of progress on Suborbital Pad B, the Tank Farm and of course, Starship SN8.
-do- SpaceX Boca Chica - SpaceX Starship prototype gearing up for first static fire with three Raptor engines....view. Two days after Elon Musk announced that Starship SN8 “passed cryo proof” testing, SpaceX has begun installing three Raptor engines on the rocket for the first multi-Raptor static fire ever attempted.
10th: SpaceX Boca Chica - Starship SN14 parts arrive....view. As Starship SN8 prepares to receive three Raptors in the next step of testing, future Starships continue to assemble, including the first sighting of a downcomer for...SN14!
9th: SpaceX Boca Chica - Thrust Simulator Removed - SN8 Readied for Raptors....view. Starship SN8 completed Cryo/pressure testing and is readied for its three Raptor engines. The thrust simulator has been removed from Pad A, a roll of stainless steel was delivered, a nosecone pathfinder was scrapped, and work continued around the site.
8th: SpaceX Boca Chica - Starship SN8 continues testing as Pathfinder Nosecone dismantled....view. With Starship SN8 expecting a third Cryo Proofing test, work continues around SpaceX Boca Chica, including work on SN6 and the dismantling of one of the pathfinder nosecones.
7th: SpaceX Boca Chica - SN11 Thrust Section Moved - SN8 Testing Continues....view. SN11 Thrust Section is flipped and moved, SN8 Cryo Pressure testing continued, Starhopper got some modifications, and Super Heavy LOX Stack 2 was spotted by Mary.
6th: SpaceX Boca Chica - SN8 Pressure Testing, RCS Thruster Test - Bluezilla Disassembled....view. SN8 pressure testing continued last night/this morning, including some RCS thruster tests. Bluezilla disassembly begins, Tankzilla is prepped for a move- to where we don't know yet, and an interesting new piece of machinery is delivered. Earth work at the Launch Site continued, and Super Heavy's LOX Stack 1 was moved around the build site.
5th: SpaceX Boca Chica - SN8 Prepared for Cryo Testing....view. SN8 had a busy night of pressure testing, with Mary catching an insane shot of the moonrise over the launch site. A thrust section was sleeved, some unknown parts were delivered, a Methane Header Tank was spotted, Tankzilla assembly continued, and work around the launch site continued.
4th: SpaceX Boca Chica - SN7.1 Scrapped - SN8 Prepared for Proof Testing....view. Test Tank SN7.1 was scrapped today, SN8 was prepared for pressure testing, and Mary provides us all with an overview of the entire site with one of her classic drive-throughs.
3rd: SpaceX Boca Chica - SN9 Stacking Complete - SN10 Thrust Section Moved Outside....view. SN10s leg skirt was spotted and it's thrust section was moved outside Tent 1 and readied for lifting. Meanwhile SN9's thrust section was moved into the Mid Bay and the rest of SN9 stacked on top of it, making SN9 complete. SN8 is on Pad A and being readied for cryo testing, while work around the site continues.
2nd: SpaceX Boca Chica - SN8 Flaps Unfolded - Super Heavy LOX Stack 1....view. SN8's Flaps were unfolded at the launch site, SN9's thrust section was lifted into the Mid Bay for stacking, SN11's CH4 Header tank was spotted as well as a two ring stack for Super Heavy labeled "LOX Stack 1". Yet another new nosecone is being built, SN6 is moved to the other side of the build site, and Raptor Engine SN29 (the one used on SN6’s 150m hop) was loaded up and left the build site.
1st: SpaceX Boca Chica - Super Heavy Forward Dome Sleeved....view. The first Super Heavy prototype has entered assembly operations, with the forward barrel sleeved and the fuel stack section spotted. The LR1600/2 crane (aka Tankzilla) continued to grow, and Orbital Launch Pad construction continued with more concrete being pumped into the legs.