- Yes, bring it on! (upbeat music) SpaceX's Booster 9 test campaign resumes. The next Starship launch is very close. Why was Starship 27 destroyed? Where did Starship 28 go? Another Falcon Heavy launch is coming, and Amazon wants to compete with Starlink. My name is Felix. Welcome to "What about it.?". Let's dive right in. Starship updates. Welcome back to Starbase,
the place that will soon host another launch of the most powerful rocket ever created by humanity. We're about to witness yet
another Starship test campaign, things go heated in the Rocket Garden, and Massey's test site has
never seen so much activity. This one is especially
jam-packed with information. You are going to love it. Launch fever. Last week, we were on
the edge of our seats as Booster 9 took its first
steps toward the big stage. Remember July 18th? Our precious prototype was relocated to what we call the Rocket Garden. No need for concern this time though. It was a short-lived vacation,
just as we anticipated. Fast forward two days, and those SPM transporters
came back to life, carting Booster 9 over to Highway 4, waiting for the road closure. Once it came into effect, yet
another orbital heavyweight graced the launch complex
with its majestic presence, leaving us awe-struck and eager for more. To top it off, SpaceX showered us with some breathtaking
photos of the event. This looks like it's
straight from a sci-fi movie. All those who said that there wouldn't be
another Starship launch for years to come
suddenly got very silent. Meanwhile, the ship's quick
disconnect arm swung back, and the so-called Chopsticks,
or Mechazilla's arms, shot up into the sky. This was it. The orbital launch mount was pumped and ready to cradle another prototype. Just three months after
the inaugural launch, Booster 9 was lifted
off its transport stand and perched neatly on the launch table. Quite the spectacle, right? Let's take a moment to
appreciate the SpaceX engineers who have worked around the clock to mend every single dent and scratch caused by the first Starship orbital test. Guys, you rock. Thank you for all the
work you put into this in such a short amount of time. Back in the day, SpaceX could perform the lift
maneuver in under an hour. But this time, with an
added sprinkle of caution, the process took almost twice as long. It's a delicate dance
of precision and safety. A huge work platform was
nudged under the Booster for some inspection work
before the testing phase. Later, it was lowered
and covered with a tarp. Against all odds and just a few weeks behind Elon's outright crazy schedule from directly after the first launch, we believe that the Orbital Launch Table, the ground support
equipment, and our star, Super Heavy Booster 9, are all geared up and ready to plunge into
the next phase of testing. So much for Elon Time always
being off by half a year. As new road closures were announced, we had our fingers crossed, hoping for some testing action
from July 23rd to July 25th. This was a special treat. As always, SpaceX didn't disappoint. Just as the closure for
the 23rd came into effect, frost was visible on
both Booster 9's tanks. This marked the first-ever cryogenic test since the inaugural launch. Now, you're probably itching to know what type of testing we can expect next. Straight to static fire, perhaps? Well, as much as we'd love
that, it's quite a long shot. What's more likely, in my opinion, is a series of spin primes, sending that chilled oxygen
through the 33 Raptor's veins. Also on the menu could be
a second round of tests for the water-cooled steel plate. And finally, drum roll, please, after readiness is established, the first static fires of Booster 9 could light up the Texan sky by July 30th or slightly later in early August. Time for the million-dollar question. Will SpaceX stick to their
tried and tested methods or blaze a new trail straight
to multi-engine tests? My bet is on a full static fire. Only time will tell. What do you think? Post all the testing, Booster 9 will probably
have to say goodbye to the launch site and
head back to Mega Bay to gear up with hot staging hardware. The next few weeks are going
to be filled with excitement Can you feel it? Naturally, the grand finale
of a static fire can't be done until the launch mount's base
is fully primed and ready. And let me tell you, we're inching close to
that momentous milestone. Thanks to pictures taken
by RGVAerialPhotography, we get a bird's eye view of the unfolding progress
at the launch site. That rebar cage I mentioned
in our previous episode? It's already cozily nestled in place. With it, you can easily see the region that will be filled with Fondag later. In the coming days, the whole cage will be filled to the brim with concrete, marking the readiness of the
Orbital Launch Mount's base. Let's take a brief look at the back of the Orbital
Launch Integration Tower. That's where you'll find
the water supply system powering the OLM's deluge. As you can see, the platforms for the
new high-pressure tanks are beginning to emerge from the shadows. Judging by their size, our guess is that we'll see multiple vessel trios
linked together on the left and a few quartets on the right. Moving even further, we
may have finally solved the mystery of the new
tank that was installed behind the high-pressure
system some time ago. I've read through a lot of your comments. Some were suggesting it's
an anti-hammering tank to smooth out any sudden
spikes in pressure when the valves open or shut. But did you know that the
current narrative suggests it's likely a nitrogen storage tank? The clue? A vaporizer is installed right next to it. It seems the tank stores liquid nitrogen, which the vaporizer then
transforms into gas. This gas is then channeled
into the high-pressure tanks. As evident by what I've just shown you, everything is pointing
towards the readiness of the Orbital Launch Complex
for another grand show. We're extremely close to
that next Starship launch in an unbelievably short amount of time. SpaceX is showing a pace that
feels unreal at this point. My bet is on a launch in late
August, maybe early September. What's your best bet? When can we expect
another glorious liftoff? Don't hesitate to let me know
your thoughts in the comments. Now, let's shift gears and zoom into the
suborbital area of Starbase. For the past two months, Ship 25, the next Starship to try and reach orbit, has been occupying Pad B. Following the spin prime
test and a static fire, the hardworking SpaceX crew has been busy inside the prototype's tanks,
an activity made evident by the ventilation hoses
hooked up to the tank hatches. Cool air. Starbase is in the middle
of an extensive heat wave. The latest aerial photos hint that the Ship's engine
shielding has been scrapped, meaning that a new one
might be coming soon. Moreover, there's a possibility that the pad itself might
receive some upgrades soon. The presence of a concrete mixer suggests they might be planning to
expand the suborbital tank farm protective berm or fill up the
vacant patch next to the pad. Once Booster 9 completes its testing round and acquires its hot staging
hardware, it's likely that Ship 25 will be moved
to the Orbital Launch Mount. The anticipation for
that next Starship launch is getting hard to deal with. While the developments at the
launch site are mesmerizing, let's remember that behind all this magic lies the tireless efforts of
workers at the build site. Follow me. Let's kick things off with the High Bay, where we had a front row seat at a historic moment on July 20th. Haven't heard anything of it? The dawn of a new era was marked by the initial
progress of Ship 30. Its payload bay was moved
inside for stacking. This was quickly succeeded
by a tiled nosecone, and barely a day later, both components were stacked together. Here's a brain teaser for you. Do you recall that the
genesis of the Ship 20 family was back in August 2020? Believe it or not, that's
nearly two years back. Sure, some serial numbers were skipped, and others were merely test tanks. Still, it's astounding how
fast we've transitioned from a mere patch of grass to
the 30th Starship prototype in just a few years. Who knows what Starbase will look like in another two years. Let's move just in front of the High Bay. Here is an area you're
likely familiar with if you're a true Space Nerd
like us, the Ring Yard. It serves as a temporary ground for all the incomplete Starship sections, Starship puzzle pieces. On July 21st, a peculiar
ring was spotted here. If this rings a bell, you're indeed a devoted WAI family member. This appears to be another iteration of the hot staging ring we
discussed merely weeks ago. Compared to its predecessor, this version appears to
be slimmed down further. That's an interesting move considering that this ring
doesn't seem particularly rigid, and it has very limited
space for vertical stringers. Hopefully, at some
point, one of these rings will become a component of a test tank, verifying its ability to withstand Max Q without jeopardizing a real Starship. Or will SpaceX just slap it
onto a booster without testing? Meanwhile, notable progress has been seen regarding the second Mega Bay
and the Starfactory building. Get ready to launch your
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endless possibilities. By July 19th, the fourth floor
of Mega Bay 2 was completed, leaving only the fifth floor
and roof sections pending. The first section of the fifth floor was then transported to the
build site on July 23rd, and work is already underway on subsequent sections
at the Sanchez site. At the same time, Starfactory is steadily
expanding towards Highway 4. This is completely bonkers! Look at all this simultaneous progress. How are they doing this so quickly? More tiles are being added
to the roof sections, and we can anticipate the placement of the initial beams of the
second phase quite soon. Moving to the rear of the Sanchez site, we find the Ground Fabrication Building, previously situated at the build site. The framework of the main
segment seems nearly completed, with only a few roof
beams left to install. On the right, a layer
of concrete was poured, creating the foundations for the already waiting
parts of the side section. On the left, a waterproof
protective layer has been laid, indicating that concrete foundations are likely to be poured really soon. I've been busy analyzing
SpaceX and Starbase for more than four years now, and I've never seen anything like this. Let's head to the Rocket Garden, which has been a hive of activity as everything at Starbase right now. Just a few days ago, Ship 26
was released from its crane, and instead, it was moved to Ship 27. At first glance, this indicated
a promising possibility that this prototype would get tested soon. Unfortunately, that's not what happened. During Super Heavy Booster 9's rollout, our WAI camera operator, Chief,
captured a surprising event. Ship 27 was unexpectedly cut in half. The question likely looming in
your mind right now is, why? Why would they dismantle
a seemingly functional and perfectly fine prototype? Let me explain. While it may have been
operational initially, horrifying images from Mauricio
depict a different story. As clearly shown here, Ship 27's common dome
has been utterly crushed. What on Earth happened here? Here's the thing. Prototypes in the Rocket Garden are securely fastened to their stands, and both their tanks are pressurized. This ensures they don't collapse
and pose a risk to workers. What likely transpired here is the methane tank was depressurized without adjusting the
pressure in the LOX tank. This created a pressure difference between the upper and lower
side of the common dome. In such a scenario, the
pressure from the LOX tank exerted an upward force
on the common dome, causing it to crumble. At this point, we're uncertain whether this event was
intentional or accidental. No matter what's true,
it sealed Ship 27's fate. On July 16th, the road near
Rocket Garden was closed. The time lapse footage
from this closure suggests that this may have been when
the pressure was released, leading to the prototype's destruction. Whether this was a maintenance
procedure gone wrong resulting in the prototype's loss, or an intentional experiment
to see the consequences of a loss-of-pressure
event remains unclear. We may never know for certain. Rest in pieces, Ship 27. Finally, we need to address
a lingering question from our last episode. On July 19th, the Ship
testing stand was moved from Massey's to the build site. We were initially optimistic
that it would be employed to transport Ship 27
for testing at Massey's, but given the subsequent events, it's clear why this didn't happen. Instead, a couple of days later, the stand was wheeled into the High Bay, where it hoisted Ship 28. As anticipated, it was
then relocated to Massey's, marking a historic first sighting of both the Ship and the
Booster at this test site. In the coming days, we expect Ship 28 to undergo cryogenic
testing using nitrogen. Then it will either be returned
for engine installation or, like Ship 26, it will be
stationed at the Rocket Garden until it's needed. Lastly, as you may recall, Booster 10 completed its own cryo test
at Massey's on July 19th. Following its successful run on July 22nd, this Super Heavy prototype was returned to the Rocket Garden. This just shows the utility
of Massey's test site. It allows for both
Booster and Ship testing without causing a single
interruption at Starbase. What do you think is
waiting for Booster 10 next, engine installation, permanent
spot at the Rocket Garden, or maybe the worst, scrapping? Please let me know in the comments. I will try to read all of them. And while you're at it, hit
that like button, subscribe, share this video with
your family and friends, and consider becoming a WAI supporter. For just a dollar per
month, you get access to daily Starbase photo
galleries from Chief, over 100 high-quality
photos every single day and countless other extras on top. No matter how much you decide to give, everyone gets the same
supporter content and access. You decide what you want to give. The link to our Patreon
page is in the description. Thanks to the thousands
who already support us. You create dream jobs for our team, and we're celebrating the 1,000th patron. Back to space. A monster is coming. Did you know that another Falcon Heavy is about to launch soon? In 2023 alone, we've witnessed
two impressive liftoffs of SpaceX's most powerful active rocket, and it seems they have no
intentions of slowing down. The upcoming mission for Falcon
Heavy is tagged Jupiter-3 or EchoStar-24, identical
to the payload itself. Constructed on an SSL-1300
satellite bus, it will improve the EchoStar constellation,
which presently consists of five telecommunication satellites. To achieve an astonishing throughput of up to 500 gigabits per second, this spacecraft is an absolute giant, a true monster of a satellite. It will be equipped with
two enormous solar panels and will go down in history as the heaviest geostationary
satellite ever deployed. Its staggering mass
equates to 9,200 kilograms or 20,282 pounds. Now, do you know what
geostationary or GEO means? Allow me to explain. A geostationary satellite is
a specific class of satellite that orbits Earth at the same
speed as Earth's rotation. Switching to the WAI desk again, as a result, from an
Earth-based perspective, the satellite seems to remain static in the same region of the sky. To help visualize this further, picture running around a track with a drone hovering above
you, matching your speed. No matter how long you run, the drone will always be right above you. This concept mirrors what a
geostationary satellite does, but in this case, Earth is the track, and the satellite is the drone. This is particularly beneficial
for services such as TV, weather forecast, and
telecommunication satellites as we can point our satellite
dishes at the same point in the sky and consistently
receive a signal. These satellites are usually positioned approximately 35,786 kilometers or 22,236 miles above Earth's equator. Due to payload mass
restrictions, the side Boosters will execute
return-to-launch-site maneuvers at LZ-1 and LZ-2 while the core Booster is planned to crash into the ocean. At the time of this episode's recording, the mission is slated for July 26th. For more updates on
this and other missions, follow me on Twitter, @FelixSchlang. Lastly, it appears Amazon is ready to take its own planned satellite
constellation to the next level. Named Kuiper, this would-be
competitor to Starlink is planned to comprise
over 3,000 satellites in low-Earth orbit. Just like SpaceX, they
have an ambitious goal of providing high-speed internet
access across the globe. In pursuit of this, Amazon has
made a historic commitment, signing the biggest
deal in rocket history. They've gone all in,
securing 83 rocket launches without first waiting
for project validation. This includes 18 on
Ariane 6, 12 on New Glenn with an option for 15 additional launches, and an impressive 38
launches of Vulcan Centaur, which expands upon the already acquired nine Atlas V launches. However, as you likely know, none of the aforementioned
rockets, except for Atlas V, have actually launched yet. Due to recent delays with Vulcan Centaur, it's plausible that the first
Kuiper prototype satellites won't launch until the end
of this year at the earliest, and it may even slip
further into early 2024. In such a scenario, it's highly likely that
Amazon will pressure ULA to transfer the satellites to Atlas V. Regardless of these challenges, Amazon remains steadfast in its vision as they're set to invest $120 million into constructing a
payload processing facility at Kennedy Space Center. This massive facility,
spanning 9,290 square meters or 100,000 square feet, should enable them to prepare the payloads for both the New Glenn and Vulcan Centaur. The construction of this
building has already begun and should be finalized
by the end of 2024, with first satellites being
processed there in 2025. The question remains,
however, whether Amazon will be able to offer serious
competition to Starlink. On one hand, by 2025, SpaceX
might already be launching their Starlink V2s on Starship. On the other hand, Amazon
wields a massive platform that could help them promote
their service inexpensively to their customers. What is your perspective? Could Kuiper become a viable
alternative to Starlink? How do you think this will
impact pricing for both services? Share your thoughts in the comments. Remember to check the
links in the description and use my code, Felix10, to
get 10% off an order over $500. That's it for today. Remember to smash that like button. Make it burn. Subscribe for more awesome content. Check out our epic shirts in
your favorite Space Nerd store. Link is in the description. And if you want to get even
smarter about space and rockets, watch this video next to
continue your journey. Thank you very much for watching, and I'll see you again
in the next episode. Jaugust, yeah. Eh. Nyam nyam nyam. Moreover, there... (mumbles) Moreover, ah. Hmm. (laughs)
