SpaceX is now progressing with the plan to build Starship’s first Florida launch pad and launch tower altogether. Earlier in 2019, SpaceX started work on a Starship launchpad situated at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) LC-39A pad, which the firm leased for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches. However, work on the pad of which most elements were already visible, effectively halted in 2020 and entered a state of limbo as SpaceX moved all of its Starship program on South Texas.
Later on December 3rd, 2021, the company’s CEO, Elon Musk revealed resumption of the project within a matter of weeks, the remains of the old Starship launch pad – already outdated – being scrapped and removed, with the site returning to a more or less blank slate. Afterward, the views from SpaceX webcasts of Falcon 9 launches out of Pad 39A have revealed that SpaceX is much aimed at preparing foundations. However, in early February 2022, a flyover of a contrasting SpaceX KSC facility released the first clear signs of preparation for pad hardware assembly.
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Starship’s first Florida launch pad and launch tower project.
Small sets of square foundations were recently made at SpaceX’s new Roberts Road Falcon storage, refurbishment, and processing center. Each completed part measured around 12m (40 ft) long and wide with a height of 18m (60 ft). They were then transferred by road about seven miles to the launch site, where a crane would stack them. In other terms, the Pad 39A’s Starship launch tower will be built at the Roberts Road facility and later the sections will be transported to the pad for assembly. Generally, to prevent the Falcon launches regular disruption, SpaceX will do the same with virtually all transportable pad hardware, with the launch mount and tower arms included.
Only about a third of the land leased at Roberts Road is developed. SpaceX intends to construct two immense warehouse-like structures to fill out the rest of the site. Based on their track, they would altogether have more covered floor area than the entirety of the South Texas ‘Starbase’ site where all Starships are currently constructed. During an update presentation on February 10th, 2022, Elon Musk revealed that SpaceX will construct and launch Starships out of Florida, all but guaranteeing that the new site will be a massive modern Starship factory. Satellite imagery in mid-February revealed that SpaceX has started to level the unfinished parts of Roberts Road, probably paving the way for the beginning of foundation work in the near future.
I find it so ironic that Mr. Biden should attempt to portray himself as a friend to the EARTH and to use so -called regulations to block the progress of the single greatest contributor for change to improve our planet, EVER! I am of course referring to Mr. Biden’s use of the FAA to block the continued advancement of Elon Musk and SpaceX Boca Chica site for Starship. Mr. Biden’s lack of enthusiasm for SpaceX and Elon Musk in particular, is no secret and I say ironic, because there has been no individual, group, or company that has done more to achieve change against the destruction of this planet. It is clearly ironic that during Mr. Biden’s time in government “service” he was not able to utilize any regulations to accomplish an end to auto maker’s continued production of fossil fuel burning cars. It was however, Elon Musk who single-handedly threw the worldwide automakers on his back, and carried them kicking and screaming into the new world where ONLY electric cars will be made, sold, or purchased. He did this by recapitalizing Tesla Motors THREE SEPARATE TIMES and by shear force of will. THANK YOU ELON MUSK! Of course these are the words that we should hear from Mr. Biden, not road blocks to the continued success of THE rocket launch company that has done for payloads into space, what Tesla has done for automobiles. Namely, to make them sustainable through reusability. SpaceX (Elon Musk) has done this in a decade, while the governments feeble attempt to build a working model of even a severely outdated rocket , with ZERO reusability, has been beset by cost over-runs and missed completion dates by over a DECADE! Mr. Biden should be embarrassed by his government’s numerous failures, and embrace Elon Musk and SpaceX’s vast achievements, by facilitating the rapid advancements being made by SpaceX through their commitment to rapid testing and learning through both success AND failures. Let us remember, the United States of America has ABSOLUTELY NO WAY TO PUT HUMANS INTO SPACE. The governments “good ol’ boy” network of lobbyist led companies such as Boeing, has taken millions and millions of THE PEOPLE’S MONEY and failed again and again to achieve humans to space. All while Elon Musk and his company have given THIS COUNTRY a platform to send humans to space for FAR LESS MONEY than Boeing has TAKEN to FAIL! Thank you again Elon!! But does Mr. Biden thank Mr. Musk? No he does not. In fact, he finds ways to block the progress of the ONE MAN who has actually accomplished what Mr. Biden tries to tell us are HIS goals. What fools Mr. Biden must believe we all are! SHAME ON YOU SLEEPY JOE! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!