SpaceX Targets January for First Starship Version 3 Flight Amidst Rapid Starbase Overhaul and New Orbital Data Center Ventures

Marcus House

Summary:

SpaceX is making rapid progress at Starbase, with Pad 1 undergoing significant demolition and Pad 2 being activated, including initial purge and water tests. The first Version 3 Starship (Ship 39) and Super Heavy (Booster 18) are nearing completion, with an official target for the inaugural V3 flight as early as January. Florida's 39A launch mount has been installed. In other space news, the Falcon 9 Bandwagon 4 mission launched innovative payloads, notably Vast's Haven Demo spacecraft, a precursor to an orbital space station, and Starcloud-1, which aims to establish massive orbital data centers using powerful NVIDIA GPUs. Elon Musk further shared visions for scaling Starlink V3 for computation and establishing lunar bases for AI satellite production and quantum computing in permanently shadowed craters. NASA saw Jared Isaacman re-nominated as Administrator. The week also saw multiple Starlink launches, as well as missions by Ariane 6, Rocket Lab's Electron, and ISRO's LVM3, highlighting a bustling period in space exploration and commercial activity, despite a new FAA emergency order impacting commercial launch windows.

Starbase Developments [0:00:00]

Pad 1 Demolition and Redevelopment [0:00:42]

• Rapid removal of the obsolete orbital launch mount components.
  • The upper half of the outer shielding was quickly cut away.

    

  • Strips of steel were removed from the booster quick disconnect, allowing for smaller pieces to be lowered.

    

  • The main door of the quick disconnect was removed, followed by larger pieces of the hood.
• Site transformation efforts.
  • Concrete from the berm wall to the North was broken up and moved off-site.

    

  • The removed dirt was used to fill in the Deluge Runoff Pond, which is no longer needed in its current form.
  • Concrete surrounding the weir pipes, which supplied high-pressure water to the deluge plate, was broken out.

    

• Tower modifications.
  • The drawworks roof and emergency access stairs at the back of the tower were cut and removed.

    

  • An overhaul of this area is expected, with the drawworks and spool likely moving to a new, more protected position on the tower.
  • Obsolete Oxygen and Methane subcoolers with removed top manifolds were rolled out from the tank farm and moved to McGregor.

    

Pad 2 Activation and Testing [0:03:13]

• Ongoing construction and installations.
  • Covers were installed on the vents.
  • Cover plates are being added to the gap between the Bunker and the Launch Mount.

    

  • Scaffolding remains on the top deck of the launch mount.
• Key system tests.
  • The first purge of the top deck pancake system and its water supply pipes was conducted, producing a dirty cloud of high-pressure gas [0:03:37].

    

  • Water tests of the deluge buckets were performed the following day [0:03:48].

    

• Ship quick disconnect arm for Tower 2.
  • Swivel joints are being installed onto the main hinge, with the end piece still unaccounted for, possibly being constructed elsewhere or awaiting full delivery.

    

Florida Launch Infrastructure [0:04:20]

• Delivery and installation of the Launch Mount.
  • The launch mount, previously constructed at the Roberts Road facility, was rolled out and transported down Kennedy Parkway.

    

  • It was then lifted into place at 39A using the LR13000 crane.

    

New Air Separation Unit (ASU) Installation [0:04:43]

• Progress on the ASU site.
  • Bags of glass gravel were delivered to be emptied into the walls for insulating commodity lines to the launch site.

    

  • The pile driller returned, and rebar cages were laid on the ground, indicating upcoming installation.
  • Hardware resembling ASU components was staged at the port, under watch for future installation.

    

Production Site Progress [0:05:25]

• Updates on stands and scrapping.
  • A Version 2 booster stand at the Sanchez entrance will undergo modifications to be compatible with Version 3 boosters.
  • A completed Version 3 stand and the first Version 3 Ship Transport Stand are now in the rocket garden.

    

  • Old test tank 16 and a ship's static fire ring are being scrapped in the yard, indicating a shift to Version 3 hardware.

    

• Gigabay and Megabay construction.
  • In Gigabay, steel columns are being erected on the right side, with two tower cranes operational and lifting multiple pieces simultaneously.

    

  • The two tower cranes on the left side are also nearing completion.
• Ship 39 (First Version 3 Starship) assembly [0:06:30].
  • The 5th and 6th sections of Ship 39 were stacked.
  • Pins and tiles were installed between barrel sections, a change from previous ships where heat shields were often completed after full stacking.

    

  • Internal transfer tubes for Methane (to gimballing Raptors) and liquid oxygen (from header tank to center Raptors) were installed.

    

  • The aft section (a test article) was rolled out, and a clear view of a Version 3 Ship quick disconnect was obtained.

    

• Booster 18 (First Version 3 Super Heavy) stacking [0:08:04].
  • The stand used for the Version 3 radial tank head was moved into Megabay 1.

    

  • This stand likely stationed the methane tank of Booster 18 during a bridge crane swap.
  • Booster 18 is now believed to be the first fully stacked Version 3 Super Heavy.

Starship Version 3 Flight Timeline & Testing [0:08:45]

• Projected Launch Window.
  • SpaceX’s VP of launch stated at the Space Economy Summit that the first Starship Version 3 launch could occur "as soon as January."

    

    

  • A booster is expected to roll out to the pad for tests in "days to weeks."
• Booster Testing at Masseys [0:09:54].
  • The booster rolling out for tests is likely heading to Masseys for cryogenic proof tests, as they have an upgraded Version 3 structural test stand.

    

• Masseys Site Preparations [0:09:54].
  • Workers began disconnecting pistons from a test tank in the large can crusher, potentially signaling its replacement with Booster 18.3.

    

  • Assembly of a new blue can crusher cap began.

    

• Commodities Bunker and Static Fire Stand Updates [0:12:44].
  • The commodities bunker roof is receiving a substantial amount of rebar (almost a meter thick).

    

  • Cryo pipes exiting the bunker towards the static fire stand are being protected by steel boxes.
  • Vertical pipes are being installed up the side of the Ship Quick Disconnect for connection, and a lip was added for easier access.

    

  • The static fire stand has all six hold-down clamps installed and shielding to close the gap between the ship and the stand.

    

  • Groundwork has begun to replace the engine chill pit.

    

NASA Leadership Update [0:13:50]

• Jared Isaacman's Renomination.
  • Jared Isaacman has been re-nominated for the role of NASA Administrator.

    

  • His previous nomination was pulled, leading to Sean Duffy serving as acting administrator.
  • Isaacman has a different, potentially more inspiring, vision for NASA, which is seen as positive by the speaker.

Recent Space Launches and Innovative Payloads [0:14:42]

SpaceX Bandwagon-4 Mission [0:14:42]

• Mission details.
  • Launched 18 payloads to a mid-inclination orbit from Space Launch Complex-40 using Falcon 9 booster 1091 (its third flight).

    

  • The booster successfully returned to Landing Zone 2.
• Mid-inclination orbit benefits.
  • Offers a higher number of revisits over specific regions, beneficial for Earth observation and weather forecasting.

    

• Vast Haven Demo Spacecraft [0:16:27].
  • The Haven Demo spacecraft, a precursor to the Haven-1 space station, successfully separated and deployed its solar panels.

    

  • This mission demonstrates critical hardware, including solar panels (Haven-1 will have 12 similar ones), onboard computers, power, batteries, software, guidance and control, propulsion, and communication systems.
  • Impulse Space’s thrusters, a subset of Haven-1’s propulsion system, are also being tested.
  • Haven-1's primary flight structure passed load and stress tests, and its internal systems are being integrated, with a target mission kick-off in mid-2026.

    

• Starcloud-1 Orbital Data Center Concept [0:17:48].
  • Starcloud-1, carrying an NVIDIA H100 GPU (100 times more powerful than other space-based operations), successfully launched.

    

  • Starcloud's goal is to build massive orbital data centers in space (e.g., a 5-gigawatt center with 4 km x 4 km solar and cooling panels).

    

  • The concept leverages uninterrupted high-intensity solar energy and vacuum cooling to address increasing energy demands and constraints of terrestrial data centers.
  • Challenges include achieving low-cost mass to orbit (requiring Starship), surviving harsh space environments (radiation, micrometeoroids), and effectively collecting solar power and radiating waste heat.
  • Starcloud and Rendezvous Robotics are exploring a modular design for these data centers to enhance redundancy and address damage risks.

    

• Elon Musk's Vision for Space Computing [0:20:11].
  • Elon Musk suggested that Starlink Version 3 satellites could be scaled for computational tasks using their excess capability and high-speed laser links.

    

  • He proposed that Starship could deliver 100 Gigawatts of power per year into high Earth orbit within 4-5 years.

    

  • Musk also envisioned a lunar base capable of producing solar-powered AI satellites and launching them with a mass driver, potentially generating 100 Terawatts per year.
  • He further speculated that quantum computing might be best performed in the permanently shadowed craters of the Moon due to the super cold temperatures required.

    

SpaceX Starlink Missions [0:21:39]

• Starlink Group 6-81.
  • A batch of 29 Starlink satellites launched from SLC-40, marking the third such set of 29 (due to lower vehicle mass and dispense system).
  • Booster 1094 completed its 5th landing on "Just Read the Instructions."
• Starlink Group 11-14.
  • Another set of 28 Starlink satellites launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
  • An emergency order by the FAA banned commercial launches and re-entries between 6 AM and 10 PM starting Monday, which may lead to rescheduling.

    

International Launches [0:23:07]

• Ariane 6.
  • Launched for its 4th flight from French Guiana, deploying the Sentinel-1D satellite with a two-solid rocket motor configuration.

    

• Rocket Lab Electron.
  • Conducted its 5th Electron launch for iQPS from New Zealand, featuring a visually striking lift-off, stage separation, and Rutherford engine firing, with the satellite deployed by the kickstage.

    

• ISRO LVM3.
  • Launched the CMS-03 communications satellite (4.4 tonnes, the heaviest comm-sat to GTO from India) from its second launch pad.
  • The mission involved the core stage ignition, solid rocket motor separation, and third stage ignition, successfully deploying the satellite.