SpaceX
SpaceX’s flawless Falcon Heavy Block 5 launch and landing in pictures
In the afterglow of SpaceX’s successful Falcon Heavy Block 5 debut, also the rocket’s first commercial mission, there is no better time to appreciate the countless dozens upon dozens of photos and videos taken of Falcon Heavy’s launch and back-to-back booster landings.
Teslarati photographers Tom Cross and Pauline Acalin were both on the ground with more than eight cameras split between them, many of which were able to capture some spectacular photos of the world’s largest rocket throughout its flawless commercial debut. Perhaps most notable are photos and videos from those with cameras (or job sites) near SpaceX’s Cape Canaveral Landing Zones 1 and 2, in some cases producing videos of the multiple sonic booms produced by Falcon Heavy’s side boosters during the transition from hypersonic to subsonic speeds.
Both Teslarati photographers produced some amazing photos over the course of setting up cameras to capture Falcon Heavy and observing its commercial launch debut from approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) away. This included distant shots of Falcon Heavy during all visible stages of flight, including liftoff, ascent, side booster separation, and both side booster landings.
Inside the splash zone
SpaceX’s own official remote cameras then joined press photographers like Tom and Pauline to capture Falcon Heavy’s Pad 39A liftoff from a distance that would likely maim or kill a human standing in the same position. Triggered to snap photos by the actual sound of the rocket launching, these cameras can capture views that would otherwise be nearly inaccessible.
At liftoff, Falcon Heavy Block 5 likely produces anywhere from 5.1-5.6 million pounds of thrust (23,000-25,500 kN) that is immediately countered by a huge deluge of water used to prevent the sheer sound of its Merlin 1D engines from damaging themselves or other parts of the rocket. This ends up producing spectacular clouds of steam, often an iconic feature of most rocket launches. Falcon Heavy is currently the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of ~2.5 and will hold on to that title until NASA’s SLS rocket debuts, likely no less than ~48 months away.
The grand finale
Finally, there are the photos and videos of Falcon Heavy’s side booster recovery. Aside from a select few photographers working for SpaceX or the Air Force, as well as Cape Canaveral AFS and Kennedy Space Center employees, the closest a member of the press can get to one of SpaceX’s Landing Zone Falcon recoveries is around four miles (6.4 km) away. Photos (and the aural experience) of Falcon landings from four miles away are still absolutely spectacular, but they can’t compete with the privileged access described above.
One such video taken by a United Launch Alliance (ULA) engineer offers an extraordinary up-close view of both Falcon Heavy Block 5 side boosters – B1052 and B1053 – safely returning to Earth after their first operational launches. Likely standing near the top of ULA’s LC-37 Delta IV launch pad integration facilities, Mr. Krishnan’s video does an excellent job
Located less than 3.5 miles (5.6 km) away from SpaceX’s Landing Zones, this is a perspective that very few humans will ever experience, owing to the fact Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an operational military base and that being so close undeniably adds some level of risk for observers. In the author’s humble opinion, the view seems… worth it. LC-37 also happens to be just 5 miles (8 km) away from the LC-39A pad from which Falcon Heavy had just launched, thus offering an almost equally visceral view of liftoff, ascent, and landing.
Cameras placed near the Landing Zones by both SpaceX and USAF photographers captured even more spectacular views and marked the conclusion of the launch and landing debuts of Falcon Heavy boosters B1052 and B1053. These same boosters are tentatively scheduled to support Falcon Heavy’s third launch as soon as June 2019, potentially breaking SpaceX’s internal record for time to complete a given booster’s refurbishment (72 days for Falcon 9, 74 days for Block 5). However, once Falcon Heavy Flight 3 is completed sometime later this year, it’s possible that SpaceX will replace their nosecones with
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Elon Musk
SpaceX issues statement on Starship V3 Booster 18 anomaly
The incident unfolded during gas-system pressure testing at the company’s Massey facility in Starbase, Texas.
SpaceX has issued an initial statement about Starship Booster 18’s anomaly early Friday. The incident unfolded during gas-system pressure testing at the company’s Massey facility in Starbase, Texas.
SpaceX’s initial comment
As per SpaceX in a post on its official account on social media platform X, Booster 18 was undergoing gas system pressure tests when the anomaly happened. Despite the nature of the incident, the company emphasized that no propellant was loaded, no engines were installed, and personnel were kept at a safe distance from the booster, resulting in zero injuries.
“Booster 18 suffered an anomaly during gas system pressure testing that we were conducting in advance of structural proof testing. No propellant was on the vehicle, and engines were not yet installed. The teams need time to investigate before we are confident of the cause. No one was injured as we maintain a safe distance for personnel during this type of testing. The site remains clear and we are working plans to safely reenter the site,” SpaceX wrote in its post on X.
Incident and aftermath
Livestream footage from LabPadre showed Booster 18’s lower half crumpling around the liquid oxygen tank area at approximately 4:04 a.m. CT. Subsequent images posted by on-site observers revealed extensive deformation across the booster’s lower structure. Needless to say, spaceflight observers have noted that Booster 18 would likely be a complete loss due to its anomaly.
Booster 18 had rolled out only a day earlier and was one of the first vehicles in the Starship V3 program. The V3 series incorporates structural reinforcements and reliability upgrades intended to prepare Starship for rapid-reuse testing and eventual tower-catch operations. Elon Musk has been optimistic about Starship V3, previously noting on X that the spacecraft might be able to complete initial missions to Mars.
Elon Musk
SpaceX Starship Version 3 booster crumples in early testing
Photos of the incident’s aftermath suggest that Booster 18 will likely be retired.
SpaceX’s new Starship first-stage booster, Booster 18, suffered major damage early Friday during its first round of testing in Starbase, Texas, just one day after rolling out of the factory.
Based on videos of the incident, the lower section of the rocket booster appeared to crumple during a pressurization test. Photos of the incident’s aftermath suggest that Booster 18 will likely be retired.
Booster test failure
SpaceX began structural and propellant-system verification tests on Booster 18 Thursday night at the Massey’s Test Site, only a few miles from Starbase’s production facilities, as noted in an Ars Technica report. At 4:04 a.m. CT on Friday, a livestream from LabPadre Space captured the booster’s lower half experiencing a sudden destructive event around its liquid oxygen tank section. Post-incident images, shared on X by @StarshipGazer, showed notable deformation in the booster’s lower structure.
Neither SpaceX nor Elon Musk had commented as of Friday morning, but the vehicle’s condition suggests it is likely a complete loss. This is quite unfortunate, as Booster 18 is already part of the Starship V3 program, which includes design fixes and upgrades intended to improve reliability. While SpaceX maintains a rather rapid Starship production line in Starbase, Booster 18 was generally expected to validate the improvements implemented in the V3 program.
Tight deadlines
SpaceX needs Starship boosters and upper stages to begin demonstrating rapid reuse, tower catches, and early operational Starlink missions over the next two years. More critically, NASA’s Artemis program depends on an on-orbit refueling test in the second half of 2026, a requirement for the vehicle’s expected crewed lunar landing around 2028.
While SpaceX is known for diagnosing failures quickly and returning to testing at unmatched speed, losing the newest-generation booster at the very start of its campaign highlights the immense challenge involved in scaling Starship into a reliable, high-cadence launch system. SpaceX, however, is known for getting things done quickly, so it would not be a surprise if the company manages to figure out what happened to Booster 18 in the near future.
Elon Musk
SpaceX’s next project will produce Starships at a level that sounds impossible
1,000 rockets per year is an insane number, especially considering Starship’s sheer size.
Elon Musk has revealed bold plans for SpaceX’s newest Starbase facility in Texas, predicting it will become a birthplace for “so many spaceships.” The upcoming “Gigabay,” a massive $250 million production hub in Starbase, Texas, is designed to manufacture up to 1,000 Starship rockets per year.
That’s an insane number of rockets for a single facility, especially considering Starship’s sheer size.
One of the world’s largest industrial structures
SpaceX’s Gigabay is expected to stand roughly 380 feet tall and enclose 46.5 million cubic feet of interior space, making it one of the largest industrial structures to date. The facility will feature 24 dedicated work cells for assembling and refurbishing Starship and Super Heavy vehicles, complete with heavy-duty cranes capable of lifting up to 400 U.S. tons, as noted in a Times of India report.
Construction crews have already placed four tower cranes on-site, with completion targeted for December 2026. Once operational, the Gigabay is expected to boost SpaceX’s launch cadence dramatically, as it would be able to build up to 1,000 reusable Starships per year, as noted in a report from the Dallas Express. Musk stated that the Gigabay will be “one of the biggest structures in the world” and hinted that it represents a major leap in Starbase’s evolution from test site to full-scale production hub.
A key step toward Mars and beyond
Starship is SpaceX’s heavy-lift rocket system, and it remains a key part of Elon Musk’s vision of a multiplanetary future. The vehicle can carry 100–150 tonnes to low Earth orbit and up to 250 tonnes in expendable mode. With several successful flights to date, including a perfect 11th test flight, the Starship program continues to refine its reusable launch system ahead of crewed lunar missions under NASA’s Artemis initiative.
Starship is unlike any other spacecraft that has been produced in the past. As per Elon Musk, Starship is a “planet-colonizer” class rocket, as the magnitude of such a task “makes other space transport task trivial.” Considering Starship’s capabilities, it could indeed become the spacecraft that makes a Moon or Mars base feasible.
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