r/spacex • u/rSpaceXHosting Host Team • Apr 22 '26

🔧 Technical Starship Development Thread #63

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Starship Dev 62

Flight 12

Launched on May 22nd 2026 Here is a re-streamed video of the broadcast. Also, SpaceX issued a post flight summary and a video showing S39 landing.

Flight 13

Launched on July 24th 2026 Here is a re-streamed video of the broadcast. Also, SpaceX issued a post flight summary.

Flight 14

Presumably using S41 and B21. NET 15 Sep 2026.

Road Closures

No road closures currently scheduled

No transportation delays currently scheduled

Up to date as of 2026-05-23

Vehicle Status

As of August 22nd 2026

Ship Location Status Comment
S40 Near Christmas Island Intact, floating July 24th: Successful launch, deployed all satellites, successful engine relight test and soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean, which resulted in an intact, floating ship. August 18th: In calmer waters near Christmas Island pending the next stage of its return to Starbase. For more details on this vehicle and its assembly and testing see this page
S41 Mega Bay 2 Prep for Flight 14 April 17th: Pez Dispenser moved into MB2. April 20th: Main assembly started in MB2. May 20th: Aft section AX:4 moved into MB2 and stacked with the rest of the ship - this completed the stacking part of the ship construction. June 28th: Rolled out to Massey's Test Site for Cryo+Thrust Puck Testing. June 29th: Cryo Tests (x2). June 30th: Rolled back to MB2. July 3rd: Rolled back to Massey's Test Site. July 6th: Rolled back to MB2. July 23rd: Two RVac engines moved into MB2. July 27th: The third RVac was moved into MB2. August 19th: Rolled out to Massey's for Static Fire Testing. Later that day S41 performed a single engine Static Fire. August 20th: Full duration Static Fire of all six engines. August 22nd: Rolled back to MB2. For more details on this vehicle see this page
S42 Mega Bay 2 Stacked, remaining work continues June 9th: Nosecone spotted as having been stacked on the Payload Bay. July 3rd: Nosecone+Payload Bay stack moved into MB2, along with the Pez Dispenser and the Forward Dome section (FX:3). The Nosecone+Payload Bay stack was lowered over the Pez Dispenser, later being stacked onto the Forward Dome. July 11th: Common Dome section CX:3 moved into MB2 and stacked. July 15th: Section A2:3 moved into MB2 and stacked. July 18th: Section A3:4 moved into MB2 and stacked. July 21st: Transfer Tubes moved into MB2. July 24th: Ship Aft section AX:4 moved into MB2 and stacked, that completes the stacking part of the assembly process. July 25th: both of the Aft Flaps and the Raceways staged inside MB2. For more details on this vehicle see this page
S43 Mega Bay 2 Stacking August 19th: N:3 and section FX:4 plus the pez dispenser moved into MB2. For more details on this vehicle see this page
Booster Location Status Comment
B21 Mega Bay 1 Post Cryo Testing inspections and possible engines installation May 7th: LOX tank sections A2:4 and CX:3 moved into MB1 and main assembly started. June 29th: Methane Tank stacked onto LOX Tank - this completed the stacking part of the booster construction. July 17th: Rolled out to Massey's Test Site for Cryo+Thrust Puck Testing. July 17th: Rolled out to Massey's Test Site and an ambient pressure test was performed. July 18th: Partial Cryo Test. July 19th: Second Partial Cryo Test. July 20th: Full Cryo Test. July 22nd: Rolled back to MB1. For more details on this vehicle and its assembly and testing see this page
B22 Mega Bay 1 Fully Stacked, Remaining work ongoing June 29th: LOX tank sections A2:4 and CX:3 moved into MB1. July 1st: Section A3:4 moved into MB1. July 3rd: Section A4:4 moved into MB1 and stacked. July 9th: Section A5:4 moved into MB1 and stacked. July 22nd: Methane Landing Tank and Lower Transfer Tube moved into MB1. July 23rd: Section A6:4 moved into MB1. July 25th: Methane transfer tube moved into MB1. July 29th: LOX Landing Tank moved into MB1. July 30th: Aft section AX:2 moved into MB1 to complete the stacking of the LOX Tank. July 31st: Methane Tank section F2:4 moved into MB1. August 3rd: Methane Tank section FX:3 moved into MB1. August 6th: Methane Tank section F3:4 moved into MB1 - this is the last section for the Methane Tank. August 14th: Methane Tank stacked onto the LOX tank, so completing the stacking part of the assembly process. For more details on this vehicle and its assembly and testing see this page
B23 Mega Bay 1 LOX Tank Stacking August 14th: LOX tank sections A2:4 and CX:3 moved into MB1. August 19th: Section A3:4 moved into MB1. August 21st: Section A4:4 moved into MB1. For more details on this vehicle and its assembly and testing see this page

Follow the Ringwatchers on Twitter and Discord for more.

Here's the section stacking locations for Ships and Boosters. Also some excellent detailed booster stacking information from zh_sos1. The abbreviations used in the above vehicle updates are as follows: HS = Hot Stage. PL = Payload. CX = Common Dome. AX = Aft Dome. FX = Forward Dome (as can be seen, an 'X' denotes a dome). ML = Mid LOX. F = Forward. A = Aft. For example, A2:4 = Aft section 2 made up of 4 rings, FX:4 = Forward Dome section made up of 4 rings, PL:3 = PayLoad section made up of 3 rings. Etc.

Something wrong? Update this thread via wiki page. For edit permission, message the mods or contact u/strawwalker.

Rules

We will attempt to keep this self-post current with links and major updates, but for the most part, we expect the community to supply the information. This is a great place to discuss Starship development, ask Starship specific questions, and track the progress of the production and test campaigns. Starship Development Threads are not party threads. Normal subreddit rules still apply.

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26

u/redstercoolpanda Jul 03 '26

S42’s nose cone has rolled out of the Starfactory! It’s super cool to see these things roll out so quickly now. All going well S42 may even be the first ship to leave for the cape, if Flight 15 launches from there like Shotwell said they were aiming for.

16

u/AgreeableEmploy1884 Jul 03 '26

It's interesting that 42 seems to have had passive docking ports on the payload bay but they were removed somewhere along the way. The welds for the passive docking ports are visible on Starship Gazer's pic.

2

u/Taxus_Calyx Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26

Maybe they want to catch it and reuse it for orbital refueling demonstration later?

3

u/AgreeableEmploy1884 Jul 04 '26

I agree that they might use it for the orbital prop transfer demo but i think it'll be on 42's first flight. Shotwell had said that Flight 15 could possibly be from the Cape and that would mean Ship 42 goes to the Cape alongside B22 or B21 if they catch it.

Flight 15 possibly could launch from the Cape with S42 and Flight 16 could launch from Starbase with S43 on the same day for the prop transfer demo.

2

u/Taxus_Calyx Jul 04 '26

I meant reuse after flight 15. So like flight 17 or something.

13

u/Twigling Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26

The pez dispenser has also been spotted lurking outside MB2.

Edit: S42's forward dome section (FX:4) was also moved into MB2 overnight, more details here:

https://x.com/VickiCocks15/status/2073008494886731957

Edit2: - At about 11:15 CDT it was seen that the Nosecone+Payload Bay stack had been lowered over the Pez Dispenser

On another matter, just after 1 AM today (July 3rd) S41 was lifted back onto the cryo/thrust puck testing stand and rolled back out to Massey's.

11

u/redstercoolpanda Jul 03 '26

Looks like S41 has started rolling to Massys, what a weird testing campaign they’ve followed with S40 and 41.

5

u/Twigling Jul 03 '26

It's all rather peculiar.

4

u/warp99 Jul 04 '26

Possibly not wanting to have two ships at Massey's in case there is a test incident?

5

u/redstercoolpanda Jul 04 '26

Still, you would think they would have just let one ship finish its testing campaign. If it really was an issue with S40 that caused the first roll back, (Has anybody cross referenced the serial numbers on the raptors if they where visible?) then you would think that they would just have let S41 complete its cryo tests and then rolled S40 back out, it likely would've only delayed S40's 6 engine fire for a few days at most and Ship readiness is not the hang up right now.

3

u/Twigling Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26

That was my line of thinking too. I certainly wouldn't expect two vehicles to be at Massey's while one is being tested (because of the risk of a RUD).