SpaceX is making progress on its next-generation orbital launch pad at Starbase, Pad B. This will be a massive upgrade for refurbishment and general pad reliability. So far, the Chopsticks have been installed on the tower, and there is tons of progress on the Tank Farm and the Flame Trench.
Chopsticks
SpaceX has been working at pace on Orbital Launch Pad B in the last few months. Both chopstick arms and the carriage were recently rolled out to the launch site. These were then assembled and attached to the tower with the Buckner LR11000 crane SpaceX rented for a short time.
Just as of Feb. 6 teams started to reeve the cable system that moves the chopsticks up and down the tower. This separate cable from the main cable helps start the reeving process. Teams will have to run the cable from the main spool, through the tower down to the traveling block, back up the tower, and finally back down to the winch.
Pad B Chopsticks (Credit: Jack Beyer for NSF)
Once this is completed, SpaceX still needs to add the actuators for each arm to make each move. These are currently sitting over in Sanchez and will likely be moved for installation once the chopstick reeving is complete. During this time, teams will also install the stabilization arms presently being constructed at Sanchez.
There is a reason that SpaceX is pushing to get these chopsticks operational as soon as possible, and that is because teams are likely planning on using Pad B for the first Starship catch.
This could happen as soon as Flight 9, assuming Flight 8 goes smoothly. The reason for this is that it makes it easier for ground crews not to have to rush to get the booster off of Pad A before a Ship catch. Secondly, Pad B’s chopsticks are the only ones currently configured for a ship catch with the smaller lip on the landing rails.
SpaceX can do this without finishing the rest of the pad as the Flame Trench and Orbital Launch Mount (OLM) are unnecessary for catching a ship.
Pad B OLM, Flame Diverters, and Flame trench
So far, SpaceX has completed a significant amount of the main structure for Pad B’s OLM. There are three primary levels: Level 1 is the support structure and has some lines inside; Level 2 is for the hold-down arms, clamps, and supporting hardware; and Level 3 is a water-cooled steel plate for the top deck of the OLM. This water-cooled steel plate is like the one currently used at Pad A but on the top of the OLM instead.
This addition will significantly reduce turnaround times by protecting the pad with large amounts of water on the OLM itself, unlike Pad A, which gets roasted each launch.
Pad B OLM and Flame Diverters (Credit: Jack Beyer for NSF)
In addition to the deck of the OLM being water-cooled, SpaceX has decided to use the same flame diverter system that is being used at Masseys and at Mcgregor’s new vertical test stands. This system uses many steel pipes to create a flame bucket where water flows through and out of small holes lining the tubes. This system is fantastic at suppressing sound and protecting infrastructure from rocket engine exhaust.
There are a pair of these that will go into the trench once it’s completed and will split the exhaust out of the two trench exits. Starship launches out of this pad will look a lot like Saturn V launches out of LC-39 but with more steam.
Pad B’s flame trench has also been making excellent progress, with SpaceX finally having dug down to where the trench floor will be. Currently, a binding layer of concrete is being added to the floor for stability so that the actual floor can be laid down. Once this is done, the Flame diverters will go in, and then the OLM will likely be installed last.
Pad B Flame Trench (Credit: BocaChicaGal for NSF)
Tank Farm and Commodities Trench
Pad B will use the same storage tanks as Pad A. However, the pumps and subcoolers will vastly differ. Pad A has five pumps with eight subcoolers for Liquid Oxygen (LOX), and four pumps with four subcoolers for Liquid Methane (LCH4). However, Pad B is set to only have three subcoolers in total, with two for LOX and one for LCH4. These are larger subcoolers, and the system is set up to be far more efficient due to lessons learned from Pad A.
The propellant is set to flow into several pumps, which haven’t been installed yet, then go into a valve area to split off into the respective subcoolers. After the subcoolers, the propellant will go through vacuum-jacketed lines inside the large commodities trench. Once the propellants get to just behind the tower, the lines will split off to feed both the tower for the ship and the OLM for the booster.
Pad B Wide Shot (Credit: BocaChicaGal for NSF)
Based on the larger diameter propellant supply lines and added vaporizers, which help create gas to backfill the propellant tanks during vehicle loading, SpaceX might be able to get Starship load times down to 40 minutes, maybe even 30 minutes. If teams got it to 30 minutes, that would be faster than Falcon 9, which starts fueling at T-35 minutes.
Hopefully, the first launch out of this pad will be later this year, but this tower will most likely catch a ship before that happens.
Featured Image: The Launch Site (Credit: BocaChicaGal for NSF)
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