SpaceX advances Starbase upgrades at the launch site

SpaceX continues rapid infrastructure improvements at its Starbase facility in South Texas, with demolition work progressing on the original Pad 1 while construction and testing advance on the newer Pad 2, along with a new ASU facility for on-site commodities. These efforts are aimed at supporting future versions of the Starship vehicle and increasing launch cadence.

At Pad 1, crews are actively dismantling legacy structures to prepare for significant upgrades. Following the removal of the launch mount several weeks ago, demolition has focused on the massive water-cooled steel plate that previously sat beneath it.

Workers have employed jackhammers, excavators, and blowtorches to remove large sections of steel. Trucks loaded with concrete and rebar have been observed leaving the site, as teams clear the way for a new flame trench design tailored to upcoming Starship iterations.

Additionally, portions of the old tank farm—including tanks used for methane reclamation during prior propellant loading operations—have been removed and transported to the Port of Brownsville.

The future use of these tanks remains unclear, though SpaceX’s history of reusing hardware suggests potential redeployment, possibly even at facilities on Florida’s Space Coast.
Work on Pad 1’s launch tower continues concurrently, with crews utilizing movable scaffolding to service the tower columns.

The tower’s iconic “chopsticks”—the mechanical arms used for stacking and catching Starship stages—have had their ends capped after recent modifications, signaling the completion of cutting operations. This paves the way for installing updated equipment similar to that on Pad 2’s system.
Meanwhile, Pad 2—expected to host future Starship launches for the foreseeable future—has seen substantial progress.

The launch mount’s top deck remains surrounded by scaffolding, indicating ongoing final work ahead of booster testing. Protective doors for the hold-down arms, designed to shield them from the exhaust of Super Heavy’s 33 Raptor engines during liftoff, have been lowered in recent tests.
Pad 2 incorporates several design improvements over its predecessor, notably the elimination of Raptor quick disconnects on the booster side. Propellant loading will now rely primarily on two dedicated booster quick disconnects—one for liquid methane and one for liquid oxygen.

Recent observations include the attachment of specialized hardware to the methane quick disconnect, potentially a test plate to verify compatibility with booster interfaces.
On the tower, the Ship Quick Disconnect arm has been fully integrated with fluid and power lines. The arm’s end section, which interfaces directly with the Starship upper stage, is undergoing outfitting at a nearby production site, including mounting points for the quick disconnect plate and connection mechanisms.

Pad 2’s chopsticks—the third set produced by SpaceX—continue to receive upgrades, despite already incorporating advancements over earlier versions at Pad 1 and Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39A. Additional hardware has been added to the carriage system near the tower’s cable tray, possibly including new control panels.
Testing activities at Pad 2 have intensified, with multiple runs of the water deluge system through the flame trench conducted in recent weeks—far exceeding the testing scope seen with Pad 1’s original steel plate deluge. Full testing of the top deck’s deluge system is anticipated soon.

Across the launch site, repairs to concrete foundations for the Air Separation Unit (ASU)—which will produce liquid oxygen and nitrogen on-site—were completed recently. Fresh concrete pours have cured, allowing installation of air compressor motors essential for operations.
This facility is a key move to produce liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid nitrogen (LN2) directly on-site. Located across the highway from the main launch pads for safety and spacing reasons, the ASU aims to drastically reduce the company’s dependence on external suppliers and long-haul cryogenic tanker deliveries.

The ASU will separate atmospheric air through cryogenic distillation, generating the essential propellants and purging gases needed for Starship operations.

Currently, Starbase relies on hundreds of truck deliveries per launch campaign, often from plants hundreds of miles away, creating logistical bottlenecks and vulnerabilities.

On-site production is expected to enable faster tank farm refills, lower costs, and support SpaceX’s goal of a dramatically higher launch cadence—potentially dozens of flights per year.

Construction of the Starbase ASU began in earnest in July 2025, following environmental approvals from Cameron County earlier that summer. It is now undergoing significant progress, with land clearing, site preparation, and structural work underway during the pre-Flight 12 window.
It will complement a larger ASU being built by industrial gas giant Linde in nearby Brownsville, a $100 million project expected to come online in 2026. While Linde’s plant will provide bulk supply and reduce delivery distances from over 500 miles to under 50, SpaceX’s dedicated unit offers immediate, tailored capacity for the launch site.

The dual approach underscores the massive scale of Starship’s propellant demands and SpaceX’s preparations for frequent operations en route to Mars ambitions. As Starbase evolves into a full-fledged rocket production and launch hub, the ASU marks a pivotal step toward self-sufficiency and operational resilience.

These parallel efforts at Starbase underscore SpaceX’s push toward more reliable, high-cadence Starship operations, paving the way for advanced vehicle testing and missions in the coming year.

(Lead image via Ceaser G for NSF).

 

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