A Closer Look At SpaceX’s Rapid Starbase Progress
With Starship’s upcoming first orbital test flight at Starbase, the site is progressing at lightning speed. While SpaceX has only been in Boca Chica for a few years, they have managed to build a massive production and launch site. Not only this but are continuing to add more each and every day. This speed has allowed SpaceX to innovate and test their Starship rocket a lot faster than the rest of the space industry.
What Is Starbase?
Starbase is the name of the launch and production site for SpaceX’s Starship rocket. Starship is SpaceX’s future heavy-lift launch vehicle meant to be fully reusable and the most powerful in the world. To create and launch such a large and powerful rocket SpaceX needed to find the perfect spot and start building immediately. Starbase is located in Boca Chica, Texas, and has been under construction for multiple years. At one point it was a small residential area but now is the space facility of the future.
Not too far from each other SpaceX has built a production site and launch site. The production is responsible for the creation and assembly of Starship while the launch site deals with all the tests and launches. These tests include pressure tests, 150m hops, 10km flights, and the upcoming orbital test flight. Starbase is necessary if SpaceX wants to put humans on Mars anytime soon.
How Boca Chica, Texas Became A Launch Site
SpaceX knew they needed a large amount of land in a good location to build a future launch site. Around 2014 SpaceX began buying land in Boca Chica, Texas. There were multiple reasons for this but one of the main reasons included its position near the Earth’s equator. The location’s close proximity to the equator meant that when launching rockets the Earth’s higher rotational speed in that location would help reduce fuel and energy needed to get into orbit.
One big challenge however about this location was the existing buildings. Right next to where SpaceX wanted to build was a small residential town. Obviously, that poses a problem when you want to launch the world’s most powerful rocket just down the block. To fix the issue SpaceX spent a large sum of money purchasing the homes. They had to pay multiple times the home’s cost to convince the owners to sell it. Even with the high offering prices some owners still refused the offer. Eventually, the state of Texas got involved and helped SpaceX purchase all the properties.
Production Site Development
While the very start of construction began in 2016 it wasn’t until 2018 when SpaceX truly started putting a lot of work into Boca Chica. One of the first places they started working on was the production site. Up until 2018, SpaceX spent the majority of its time working on the soil as it was waterlogged due to its location. Once they had the ground all sorted they began work on the first structures.
At first, SpaceX built up a small production tent and bay to start work on the Starship prototype. This however did not last very long before they ramped up their development. SpaceX started pouring massive amounts of concrete and laying the foundation for future buildings. This included multiple larger and more permanent production tents. In these tents, parts of Starship such as the nosecones are developed.
They also constructed the mid-bay. This building was meant to house the Starship second stage and help stack the ring segments into one rocket. They only needed the mid-bay initially because they had not yet started working on the 70m tall booster. After some time and tests had passed they began working on the high-bay. The high bay is an 80m tall building that can house two booster segments or two starship second stages. SpaceX prebuilt large segments of the high bay and managed to construct the entire building within a few months. They also installed a bridge crane at the top to help stack any part of Starship. These are just a few of the main components and development of the production site that has taken place so far.
Launch Site Development
Similar to the production site construction mainly began in 2018. Prior to that SpaceX had been working on the soil and started to flatten out a large area. The first thing SpaceX worked on was a small square patch of concrete and the start of the fuel tank farm. This concrete patch would end up being the ground beneath the first sub-orbital launch mount. With Starship using liquid methane and oxygen, a tank farm was needed right next to the launch mount to fuel the rocket.
Between 2019 and late 2020 there were some large changes to the site. First SpaceX poured a large square of concrete to create a landing pad for Starship. They also built two sub-orbital launch mounts. This allowed them to have multiple Starships out at the launch site at one time. Finally, they expanded the tank farm and started construction on the orbital launch pad.
From 2020 to 2021 the launch site had gone through a massive amount of development. Starting with the construction of the vertical integration tower and the orbital launch mount. The tower stands at an impressive 146m tall. This height is necessary to accommodate the 120m tall Starship. The last main part SpaceX has made quick progress on is the orbital launch sites tank farm. While initially they only needed a small tank farm for Starship upper stage tests this will not be the case with a full Starship orbital launch. SpaceX is working on 8 massive GSE tanks that will hold everything from fuel for the rocket to water for a possible dilution system.
How Do The Locals Feel About Starbase?
Boca Chica, Texas went from being a small town in south Texas to a massive launch facility for the future most powerful rocket in the world. You would think that a lot of residents would not be a fan but you would be mistaken. While a small majority have expressed their displeasure the overwhelming amount of locals are extremely happy.
One of the obvious reasons being you now live within viewing distance of a launch site. Residents in Boca Chica often go out in large crowds to watch every Starship launch from small tests to incredible 10km flights. Another benefit to the new launch site is the added jobs and opportunities. With the construction going on 24/7 SpaceX has employed an army of workers from construction to engineering and more. These jobs are a great opportunity for a lot of the residents and the local economy. It has been quite a switch up for the quiet town but one that many have taken as a unique and fun opportunity.
What The Future Of Starbase Looks Like
Despite a large amount of progress, Starbase construction is not planning on slowing down at all. In terms of the production site, SpaceX recently began work on the super high bay. This will be even larger than the existing high bay and capable of housing multiple boosters. This additional space will help SpaceX speed up production and work on multiple Starship segments at the same time.
When looking at the launch site the story is no different. Currently, SpaceX plans on finishing the orbital tank farm and installing a large catching mechanism for Starship. Right now they have almost finished construction on the two large metal arms. In the near future, SpaceX will likely install these arms on the launch tower. The plan is to catch Starship and Super Heavy out of mid-air with them.
Conclusion
SpaceX’s rapid Starbase development is the reason their Starship rocket has been so successful up to this point. The production site has facilitated mass production of the rocket. With so many versions being made SpaceX has been able to consistently test prototypes and make adjustments. Thanks to the launch site, constant fueling and launching have given them accurate flight information about Starship. If SpaceX continues at its current pace I am confident we will see Starbase become one of the largest rocket launch and production sites in the world.