WELCOME BACK AND THANKS FOR TUNING INTO EPISODE 24 OF LABPADRE'S SPACEX AND STARBASE WEEKLY
UPDATES.
WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT INFO FOR YA TODAY...SO LETS DIG IN!
WITH FABRICATION WORK EFFECTIVELY COMPLETE, STARSHIP 25'S PAYLOAD BAY BARREL SECTION
WAS MOVED TO THE STAGING AREA IN FRONT OF HIGHBAY.
OVERNIGHT, SOME WORK WAS PERFORMED ON TOP OF GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT TANK 8 AT
THE PROPELLANT FARM.
AT THE CAPE, DOUG RETURNED TO PORT CANAVERAL WITH BOTH FAIRING HALVES AFTER THE
LAUNCH OF THE STARLINK 4-26 MISSION.
IN BOCA CHICA, THE TRANSPORT STAND WAS BROUGHT TO THE LAUNCH MOUNT IN PREPARATION
FOR BRINGING BOOSTER 7 BACK TO THE BUILD SITE.
MEANWHILE, STARSHIP 25'S PAYLOAD BAY SECTION WAS MOVED INTO THE HIGHBAY FOR VEHICLE
ASSEMBLY.
AT THE LAUNCH SITE, THE BOOSTER QUICK DISCONNECT WAS RETRACTED AHEAD OF BOOSTER 7'S
LIFT OFF THE ORBITAL LAUNCH MOUNT.
STARSHIP 25'S ASSEMBLY CONTINUED WITH THE INSTALLATION OF THE DOWNCOMER.
THIS PIPE TRANSPORTS METHANE FUEL THROUGH THE OXYGEN
TANK TO THE ENGINES.
ALSO FULLY FABRICATED, SHIP 25'S NOSECONE WAS MOVED ONTO A TRANSPORT STAND AHEAD OF
ITS OWN MOVE TO THE HIGH BAY.
AFTER ARRIVING AT THE BUILD SITE, BOOSTER 7 WAS MOVED INTO THE MEGA BAY FOR INSTALLATION
OF ITS THIRTEEN CENTER ENGINES AND THE ACCOMPANYING THERMAL SHIELDING.
OVERNIGHT AND INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON SATURDAY, SHIP 25'S NOSECONE WAS
ULTIMATELY MOVED INTO THE HIGH BAY.
ON SUNDAY MORNING, BOOSTER 1073 ARRIVED AT PORT CANAVERAL AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL
LAUNCH OF THE STARLINK 4-26 MISSION.
FORMS FOR A NEW CONCRETE WALL WERE BEING PUT TOGETHER AT THE BOCA CHICA LAUNCH SITE,
WHICH WILL PROTECT THE TANKS FROM BOOSTER EXHAUST.
NEW PISTONS FOR THE CHOPSTICKS ARE ALSO BEING ADDED, WHICH WILL PROVIDE CUSHIONING
FOR THE BOOSTERS AS THEY COME IN FOR A CATCH LANDING.
MONDAY EVENING IN FLORIDA, OUR FRIENDS AT SPACEFLIGHT NOW WERE LIVE FOR THE LATEST
LAUNCH TOWER MODULE MOVE AS THE SEVENTH MODULE WAS MOVED FROM THE ROBERTS ROAD
FACILITY TO LAUNCH COMPLEX 39A.
THE CROSBY SKIPPER AND A SHORTFALL OF GRAVITAS LEFT PORT CANAVERAL AHEAD OF STARLINK
4-27, WHICH LAUNCHED ON THE 19TH.
CREWS WERE WORKING ON THE METHANE SIDE OF THE ORBITAL TANK FARM.
FOR SAFETY, THE EQUIPMENT IS DIVIDED TO HANDLE THE PROPELLANTS
SEPARATELY.
ON TUESDAY, THE FALCON 9 FAIRINGS WERE UNLOADED FROM DOUG USING A NEW LIFTING METHOD
WITH JUST TWO ATTACHMENT POINTS.
AS WORK ON THE PROPELLANT HANDLING INFRASTRUCTURE WRAPPED UP AT THE ORBITAL TANK
FARM, THE METHANE PUMP WAS REINSTALLED.
AFTER THAT, THE METHANE PUMP MOTOR, A SEPARATE ASSEMBLY FROM THE WORKING PARTS, WAS
ALSO REINSTALLED.
CHOPSTICK WORK CONTINUED AT THE LAUNCH TOWER, WITH NEW HARDWARE BEING INSTALLED TO
AID AND SUPPORT ANY ATTEMPTED SUPERHEAVY CATCHES.
TUESDAY EVENING IN FLORIDA BROUGHT THE MUCH ANTICIPATED ROLLOUT OF NASA'S SPACE
LAUNCH SYSTEM ARTEMIS 1 ROCKET.
AFTER A SHORT DELAY DUE TO WEATHER, THE ROCKET BEGAN
ITS SLOW CRAWL TO LAUNCH COMPLEX 39B TO AWAIT ITS LAUNCH DATE, CURRENTLY SCHEDULED
FOR AUGUST 29TH.
JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT ON WEDNESDAY, SHIP 25'S NEWLY MATED NOSECONE AND PAYLOAD SECTIONS
WERE LIFTED OFF THE TURNTABLE IN HIGH BAY.
LATER THAT DAY, A NEW SPACEX BRANDED LONG REACH BOOM LIFT ARRIVED AT THE LAUNCH SITE,
AND WAS FOLLOWED SHORTLY AFTER BY A RAPTOR TRUCK.
IRON WORKERS BEGAN MODIFYING THE ORBITAL LAUNCH TOWER'S BRACING ELEMENTS, ADDING
NEW SUPPORT PIECES AND WELDING THE BRACING PLATES, WHICH HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN JUST
BOLTED TOGETHER.
ON THURSDAY, AN SPMT MOVED THE OLD RAPTOR MAINTENANCE PLATFORM FROM THE
FORMER LANDING PAD TO NEAR TEST STAND A FOR STORAGE.
THAT AFTERNOON THE CHOPSTICKS UNDERWENT SOME TESTING, LIKELY TO NOT ONLY VERIFY THE
RECENT REPAIR BUT TO ALSO FEEL OUT THE RECENT UPGRADES.
ALSO THIS WEEK, WE ARE HAPPY TO BRING YOU NEW FLYOVER PHOTOS FROM CAPE CANAVERAL
THANKS TO OUR EYE IN THE SKY, GREG SCOTT.
AS SHOWN PREVIOUSLY, NASA ROLLED ITS SLS ROCKET BACK OUT TO LAUNCH COMPLEX 39B.
THIS LATEST TRIP TO THE LAUNCH SITE FOR THIS ROCKET SHOULD BE THE LAST AS ITS ARTEMIS 1
MISSION IS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO LAUNCH ON AUGUST 29TH.
IF THIS LAUNCH IS SUCCESSFUL, SLS WILL BECOME THE MOST POWERFUL ROCKET TO REACH ORBIT,
AT LEAST UNTIL STARSHIP BECOMES OPERATIONAL
JUST TO THE SOUTH AT LC-39A, SPACEX CONTINUES WORK ON THE PAD'S NEW STARSHIP
INFRASTRUCTURE, EVEN AS THE PAD REMAINS AN ACTIVE FALCON 9 LAUNCH SITE.
THE FALCON 9 TRANSPORTER ERECTOR STILL SITS AT THE BASE OF THE FALCON 9 TOWER AFTER
LAST WEEKS STARLINK LAUNCH.
NEARBY, THE STARSHIP LAUNCH TOWER HAS HAD 6 MODULES INSTALLED WITH THE 7TH AND FINAL
FULL HEIGHT MODULE WAITING NEARBY.
THE BUCKNER LR11350 CRANE WAS BRIEFLY LAID DOWN FOR A QUICK RECONFIGURATION THIS WEEK
TO LENGTHEN ITS LUFFING JIB IN PREPARATION FOR LIFTING THIS 7TH MODULE.
WORK CONTINUES ON THE NEW WATER TANK BETWEEN THE TWO LAUNCH TOWERS AND NEW FORMS
AROUND THE BASE INDICATE A CONCRETE WALL WILL SURROUND THE STEEL SUPPORT COLUMNS.
AROUND 6 MILES TO THE SOUTH WEST RAPID PROGRESS CONTINUES AT SPACEX'S FACILITIES ON
ROBERTS ROAD.
WORK SEEMS TO BE LARGELY COMPLETE ON THE HANGER X EXPANSION AS THE FINAL ACCESS
OPENINGS IN THE BUILDING HAVE BEEN SEALED.
OVER ON THE STARSHIP SIDE OF THE FACILITY, ADDITIONAL PROGRESS CAN BE SEEN WITH THE
CHOPSTICKS AS THE LANDING BEAMS HAVE BEEN ADDED.
WORKERS CAN ALSO BE SEEN WORKING ON THE ADJACENT CARRIAGE SECTION WHILE THE QD ARM
SITS NEARBY, POSSIBLY AWAITING THE INSTALLATION OF PIPING AND CONDUIT.
THE STEEL FOR THE 8TH AND 9TH MODULES OF THE LAUNCH TOWER APPEARS TO BE LARGELY
COMPLETE.
THE 9TH MODULE, HOWEVER, IS STILL AWAITING THE CROWN BLOCK AND PULLEYS
NEEDED TO RUN THE CHOPSTICKS' LIFTING CABLE.
IT ALSO APPEARS THAT WORKERS HAVE BEGUN INSTALLING THE JIB BASES BACK ONTO THE
CONCRETE PADS.
COULD THIS BE A SIGN THAT ASSEMBLY OF ANOTHER TOWER WILL BEGIN IN THE
NEAR FUTURE?
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK IN THE COMMENTS.
ON THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE LOT, CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROBERTS ROAD STARFACTORY
CONTINUES AT A STUNNINGLY QUICK PACE.
WHILE CREWS ARE BUSY ASSEMBLING THE STEEL FOR THE MIDDLE THIRD OF THE BUILDING, MORE
THAN HALF THE STEEL ON THE FIRST THIRD HAS ALREADY BEEN PAINTED AND ROOFING AND SIDING
ARE BEING INSTALLED.
ON THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE BUILDING, CREWS ARE WORKING TO FINISH THE UNDERGROUND
CONDUIT BANKS AND FOUNDATIONS AS THE CONCRETE SLAB IS WORKING ITS WAY TOWARDS THEM.
THE FOUNDATIONS ON THIS END OF THE BUILDING WILL LIKELY NEED TO BE A LITTLE MORE
SUBSTANTIAL AS THIS END OF THE BUILDING IS SUPPOSED TO BE TALLER THAN THE REST.
FOUNDATION WORK FOR THE FIRST OF THE FLORIDA MEGA BAYS APPEARS TO BE COMPLETE AND
THE INTERIOR GRADE HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP TO MATCH THE ELEVATION OF THE FOUNDATION.
ONE NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS FOUNDATION AND THE ONE IN BOCA CHICA IS THE
ADDITION OF 2 PITS IN THE BACK CORNERS OF THE FOUNDATIONS, WHICH ARE POSSIBLY PITS FOR
FUTURE ELEVATORS.
NEXT TO THE MEGA BAY, BUCKNER CREWS HAVE BEGUN ASSEMBLING A BRAND NEW LIEBHERR
LR11000 CRANE.
THIS CRANE SEEMS TO HAVE THE SAME PAINT SCHEME AS THE SPACEX LR11000 AT
STARBASE, INCLUDING THE LOGOS ON THE TREADS.
UNLIKE THE TEXAS CRANE, HOWEVER, THIS CRANE ALSO HAS BUCKNER BRANDING ON IT WHICH MAY
INDICATE A DIFFERENT ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN SPACEX AND BUCKNER WITH THIS NEW CRANE.
MOVING OVER TO THE CAPE CANAVERAL BLUE ORIGIN FACILITIES, WE CAN SEE THAT PROGRESS
CONTINUES TO PROGRESS.
STEELWORK HAS FINALLY BEGUN ON THE NEW EXPANSION OF THE WAREHOUSE BUILDING ON THE
SOUTH EAST CORNER OF THE SITE.
JUST TO THE WEST OF THE WAREHOUSE, ADDITIONAL GROUND CLEARING IS UNDERWAY AS BLUE
ORIGIN PREPARES FOR ADDITIONAL EXPANSION OF THEIR FACILITY.
CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES ON THE NEW 2-CAT BUILDING.
WE CAN SEE THAT THE LARGE STEEL STRUCTURE THAT WAS ON THE GROUND IN PREVIOUS
FLYOVERS HAS NOW BEEN INSTALLED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DOORWAY.
AND WHILE ALL SEEMED QUIET AT BLUE ORIGINS LC-36 DURING THE FLYOVER, NEW GLENN'S
TRANSPORTER ERECTOR WAS RAISED TO VERTICAL FOR THE FIRST TIME ON FRIDAY.
WE WERE ALSO TREATED TO A FLY BY OF CAPE CANAVERAL'S SHUTTLE LANDING FACILITY.
NEXT TO THE 15,000 FOOT RUNWAY IS A DISPLAY OF A MOCK-UP OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE.
AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE RUNWAY GROUND WORK IS UNDERWAY IN PREPARATIONS FOR NEW
FACILITIES TO BE BUILT.
AND WRAPPING UP THIS WEEK'S EPISODE IS A QUICK TOUR OF SPACEX'S PORTSIDE ACTIVITIES.
AUTONOMOUS DRONE SHIP JUST READ THE INSTRUCTIONS SITS AT THE PORT CANAVERAL DOCKS
AWAITING ITS NEXT MISSION.
NEARBY, DRAGON RECOVERY VESSEL MEGAN SITS READY AND HAS SINCE LEFT PORT IN SUPPORT
OF THE RETURN OF THE CARGO DRAGON FROM THE CRS-25 MISSION.
AND FINALLY, NOT ONE, BUT TWO FALCON 9 BOOSTERS SIT ON THE DOCKS AWAITING TRANSPORT TO
THE REFURBISHMENT FACILITIES AS SPACEX'S RECORD LAUNCH CADENCE CONTINUES.
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!
ANOTHER SPACEX AND STARBASE WEEKLY UPDATE WITH A SPLASH OF BLUE ORIGIN BROUGHT TO YOU
BY LABPADRE.
MAKE SURE YOU SUBSCRIBE AND HIT THE ALERT BELL FOR NEW VIDEO AND LIVE STREAM NOTIFICATIONS.
WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK AND THANKS FOR WATCHING.
LABPADRE...OUT!