SpaceX says Starship’s heat shield problem has been solved—but Ship 40 still returned from Flight 13 with missing and damaged tiles. As recovery crews battle rough seas to bring the vehicle back to Australia, will SpaceX get the close-up data it needs for the next flight?
Meanwhile, Flight 14 could become Starship’s most ambitious mission yet. SpaceX is targeting an operational orbit, the deployment of Starlink V3 satellites, and potentially the first-ever attempt to catch a Starship with the launch tower.
At Starbase, Ship 42 and Booster 22 are coming together, Ship 43 is preparing to leave the Starfactory, and the mysterious S43.1 nosecone has arrived at Massey’s for structural testing—including hardware associated with a future ship catch.
We also check in on construction at Starbase’s Pad 1 and Pad 2, rapid progress on the Gigabay, testing of the LC-39A chopsticks in Florida, and SpaceX’s extraordinarily ambitious goal of launching Starship once per day by the end of 2027.
Will SpaceX really attempt a ship catch on Flight 14? And has the heat shield problem actually been solved? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Topics covered:
Ship 40’s heat-shield performance and recovery attempt
SpaceX’s first earnings call
Flight 14 operational-orbit plans
Potential Starlink V3 deployment
Possible first Starship catch
Ship 42, Ship 43, and Booster 22 progress
S43.1 structural testing at Massey’s
Pad 1 and Pad 2 construction
Gigabay construction
LC-39A chopstick testing
Starbase’s air-separation unit
SpaceX’s one-Starship-flight-per-day goal
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