Booster 19 stacking begins as SpaceX pushes forward from B18 anomaly

on

Following the anomaly with Booster 18, SpaceX is pushing ahead with the construction of Booster 19 and the subsequent testing of the Block 3 test tanks. However, ahead of Flight 12, there are still many milestones to finish, including building a new booster and completing the new launch pad.

Booster 18, Booster 19, B18.1, and B18.3

It has been a week since Booster 18 experienced an anomaly during a gas system pressure test. This is where SpaceX loads gaseous Oxygen, Nitrogen, and possibly Helium to pressure-test the main propellant tanks, Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs), and to actuate all the valves before loading actual cryogenic propellants onboard the booster.

This anomaly caused a hole to be blown into the side of the booster, likely due to a COPV exploding. Following the anomaly, SpaceX posted on X that no one was hurt and that teams were working to secure the site.

Since the anomaly and the start of safing operations, crews have removed the Liquid Methane (LCH4) tank, the common dome, part of the Liquid Oxygen tank, and part of the transfer tube.

Booster 18 before crews cut the common dome off (Credit: Ceaser G for NSF)

Further scrapping efforts will likely finish up once American Thanksgiving is over. Once Booster 18’s remains are entirely removed from the thrust sim cryo stand, crews will have to repair the stand itself, as it appears some of the hydraulic systems were damaged by the anomaly. The stand will likely be ready to go again once Booster 19 is ready for cryogenic proof testing.

So, with Booster 18 now out of the picture for Flight 12, the honor of the first Block 3 booster flight falls to Booster 19. Which, as of Nov 27, has started stacking with the common dome and the ring section below it, both being in Mega Bay 1. SpaceX has stated that Booster 19 will be ready for testing in December, which would mean three to four weeks to stack and finish the booster.

SpaceX has never in the entirety of the Starship program built, completed, and tested a ship or booster within a month. The quickest crews have been able to do with a booster without waiting on sections is Booster 17 at three months, or the estimate for Booster 18 without the wait for its aft section, which is around two months. Taking the estimate for past-built boosters, Booster 19 would be ready around the end of January.

Either way, SpaceX is trying to do something it has never done before in its push to fly Flight 12 as soon as possible.

There are a few other factors that may hold up Flight 12. Currently, there are two booster test tanks at Masseys, B18.1 and B18.3. B18.1 is the Block 3 booster aft test tank, which has been cryogenic proof tested 10 times and has been in the structural test cage since May 12, 2025.

Test Tanks B18.1, B18.3, and S39.1 at Masseys (Credit: Ceaser G for NSF)

B18.3 is the Block 3 booster forward test article; so far, it has completed only seven cryogenic proof tests and is welded to the old can crusher. SpaceX has been building a structure that attaches to the side of the stand, which might be for testing the grid fin sockets once fully built. However, SpaceX still has a decent amount of tests to go on this test tank.

Ship 39 and S39.1

The other half of Flight 12 is Ship 39, which is currently fully stacked and on the center work station inside Mega Bay 2. Now, getting this ship out for cryogenic proof testing is going to be a challenge because S39.1 is currently occupying the ship thrust sim cryo stand. 

Pad 2 from the Air before the Install of the SQD Arm (Credit: Ceaser G for NSF)

S39.1 is a Block 3 ship aft test article that has been welded to the ship cryo test stand. This test tank will utilize the thrust sim actuators on the stand to test the newly designed ship aft section. This test tank is also set up with a forward section intended to interface with a can crusher cap, which SpaceX just built a second one of. To use this and crush-test the test tank, SpaceX will have to modify the cryo stand further to allow testing. 

Considering B18.1 and B18.3, which are the two booster test tanks that have been out there for five months and two months, respectively, S39.1 could take a considerable amount of time to complete testing. So, as long as S39.1 is occupying the ship cryo test stand, SpaceX cannot cryo-test or thrust-sim Ship 39.

Pad 2 from the Air before the Install of the SQD Arm (Credit: Ceaser G for NSF)

Pad 2 

The final piece of the puzzle will be getting Pad 2 operational, not only for booster and ship testing but also for flight. To that end, recently, the main arm of the ship quick quick-disconnect arm was lifted and installed onto the integration tower. The next step will be to install the arm extension, which will house the actual quick-disconnect plate that connects to the ship.

Other than the ship quick disconnect components, there are only a few other small items left to finish up. There is still a missing LCH4 pump on the ship side in the tank farm, as well as one more blast door to be installed on the launch mount service structure. On the launch mount itself, all 20 hold down clamp doors still need to be installed as well.

SQD Arm Installed on Pad 2’s Launch Tower (Credit: Ceaser G for NSF)

With still a decent amount of testing to complete, but the launch pad nearly ready for a vehicle, SpaceX still has a decent amount of work ahead of it before launching Flight 12.

Featured Image: Booster 18 Scrapping Operations in Progress (Credit: Ceaser G for NSF).


The post Booster 19 stacking begins as SpaceX pushes forward from B18 anomaly appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.



Comments

Post a Comment