SpaceX
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 fairing catcher Mr Steven preps for October recovery attempt
Following a 45-day armless hiatus, SpaceX fairing recovery vessel Mr Steven’s four net-supporting arms have reappeared at its Berth 240 home, potentially giving SpaceX technicians enough time to install them for a fifth attempt at snagging a Falcon 9 fairing half.
That fifth Falcon fairing recovery attempt could occur as early as ~8 pm PDT, October 6th, roughly half an hour after SpaceX is scheduled to launch a flight-proven Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket with SAOCOM-1A, a 3000 kg (6600 lb) Earth observation satellite built for Argentinian space agency CONAE.
SpaceX’s most recent Vandenberg launch and fairing recovery attempt occurred on July 25th and successfully placed the sixth group of 10 Iridium NEXT communications satellites into orbit, after which Falcon 9 B1048 managed a safe landing aboard drone ship Just Read The Instructions (JRTI). JRTI returned to Port of San Pedro on July 28th and Block 5 booster B1048 has spent its subsequent ~70 days on dry land being refurbished for SAOCOM-1A, perhaps providing a taste of things to come for SpaceX launch operations.
Mr Steven, on the other hand, has been relegated to its Port of Los Angeles berth for the last month and a half, following the removal of his four arms, eight complementary booms, and large net. Presumably scheduled for upgrades after additional real-world testing, those arms and booms disappeared from Berth 240 around August 22nd and were spotted back beside Mr Steven on October 1st. Curiously, at least one arm had legible shipping manifest stickers applied, suggesting that the central arm structure, an entire arm, or even all four arms were shipped somewhere by air in interim.
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- Mr Steven with arms, August 3rd. (Pauline Acalin)
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- No arms, no problem. 09/18/18 (Pauline Acalin)
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- Once at the dock, SpaceX technicians reassembled arm components, presumably preparing to reinstall them on Mr Steven. (Pauline Acalin)
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- (Pauline Acalin)
Thanks to a new structural design allowing each arm to be easily disassembled into half a dozen major subsections, air shipment is likely a breeze compared to nearly all other large pieces of SpaceX hardware. Where or why they were shipped is unclear, although the expense of transporting ungainly and heavy items by air may indicate that schedule margins were too tight and the distance too far for road transport.
-->Mr Steven’s eight shock-absorbing arm booms have yet to be spotted at or around Berth 240, but chances are looking good for the vessel to have his arms reattached in time to attempt a fairing catch shortly after SAOCOM-1A. Judging from photos of the recently returned arms, any obvious before and after differences are few and far between, meaning that any visible upgrades to the recovery mechanism will instead be found with the booms.
It certainly appears that Mr Steven's net is capable of receiving a fairing half. Getting closer than ever. 8/13 #spaceX #mrsteven pic.twitter.com/Zqydum2FbB
— Pauline Acalin (@w00ki33) August 14, 2018
Longer arm booms could perhaps increase the working area of Mr Steven’s arms at the cost of dropping his net closer to the deck and late-July testing that involved placing an actual fairing on the net appeared to indicate that margin is available to lower his net further. We’ll find out soon as the booms arrive and SpaceX technicians (hopefully) begin reinstalling the vessel’s arms and net over the next several days.
For prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket recovery fleet check out our brand new LaunchPad and LandingZone newsletters!
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Elon Musk
SpaceX’s Starship FL launch site will witness scenes once reserved for sci-fi films
A Starship that launches from the Florida site could touch down on the same site years later.
The Department of the Air Force (DAF) has released its Final Environmental Impact Statement for SpaceX’s efforts to launch and land Starship and its Super Heavy booster at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s SLC-37.
According to the Impact Statement, Starship could launch up to 76 times per year on the site, with Super Heavy boosters returning within minutes of liftoff and Starship upper stages landing back on the same pad in a timeframe that was once only possible in sci-fi movies.
Booster in Minutes, Ship in (possibly) years
The EIS explicitly referenced a never-before-seen operational concept: Super Heavy boosters will launch, reach orbit, and be caught by the tower chopsticks roughly seven minutes after liftoff. Meanwhile, the Starship upper stage will complete its mission, whether a short orbital test, lunar landing, or a multi-year Mars cargo run, and return to the exact same SLC-37 pad upon mission completion.
“The Super Heavy booster landings would occur within a few minutes of launch, while the Starship landings would occur upon completion of the Starship missions, which could last hours or years,” the EIS read.
This means a Starship that departs the Florida site in, say, 2027, could touch down on the same site in 2030 or later, right beside a brand-new stack preparing for its own journey, as noted in a Talk Of Titusville report. The 214-page document treats these multi-year round trips as standard procedure, effectively turning the location into one of the world’s first true interplanetary spaceports.
-->Noise and emissions flagged but deemed manageable
While the project received a clean bill of health overall, the EIS identified two areas requiring ongoing mitigation. Sonic booms from Super Heavy booster and Starship returns will cause significant community annoyance” particularly during nighttime operations, though structural damage is not expected. Nitrogen oxide emissions during launches will also exceed federal de minimis thresholds, prompting an adaptive management plan with real-time monitoring.
Other impacts, such as traffic, wildlife (including southeastern beach mouse and Florida scrub-jay), wetlands, and historic sites, were deemed manageable under existing permits and mitigation strategies. The Air Force is expected to issue its Record of Decision within weeks, followed by FAA concurrence, setting the stage for rapid redevelopment of the former site into a dual-tower Starship complex.
SpaceX Starship Environmental Impact Statement by Simon Alvarez
Elon Musk
SpaceX maintains unbelievable Starship target despite Booster 18 incident
It appears that it will take more than an anomaly to stop SpaceX’s march towards Starship V3’s refinement.
SpaceX recently shared an incredibly ambitious and bold update about Starship V3’s 12th test flight.
Despite the anomaly that damaged Booster 18, SpaceX maintained that it was still following its plans for the upgraded spacecraft and booster for the coming months. Needless to say, it appears that it will take more than an anomaly to stop SpaceX’s march towards Starship V3’s refinement.
Starship V3 is still on a rapid development path
SpaceX’s update was posted through the private space company’s official account on social media platform X. As per the company, “the Starbase team plans to have the next Super Heavy booster stacked in December, which puts it on pace with the test schedule planned for the first Starship V3 vehicle and associated ground systems.”
SpaceX then announced that Starship V3’s maiden flight is still expected to happen early next year. “Starship’s twelfth flight test remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026,” the company wrote in its post on X.
Elon Musk mentioned a similar timeline on X earlier this year. In the lead up to Starshp Flight 11, which proved flawless, Musk stated that “Starship V3 is a massive upgrade from the current V2 and should be through production and testing by end of year, with heavy flight activity next year.” Musk has also mentioned that Starship V3 should be good enough to use for initial Mars missions.
-->Booster 18 failure not slowing Starship V3’s schedule
SpaceX’s bold update came after Booster 18 experienced a major anomaly during gas system pressure testing at SpaceX’s Massey facility in Starbase, Texas. SpaceX confirmed in a post on X that no propellant was loaded, no engines were installed, and personnel were positioned at a safe distance when the booster’s lower section crumpled, resulting in no injuries.
Still, livestream footage showed significant damage around the liquid oxygen tank area of Booster 18, leading observers to speculate that the booster was a total loss. Booster 18 was among the earliest vehicles in the Starship V3 series, making the failure notable. Despite the setback, Starship V3’s development plans appear unchanged, with SpaceX pushing ahead of its Q1 2026 test flight target.
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.
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SpaceX’s Starship FL launch site will witness scenes once reserved for sci-fi films
Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) testing gains major ground in Spain
