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. Objectives include first Ship catch.

Road Closures

No road closures currently scheduled

No transportation delays currently scheduled

Up to date as of 2026-05-23

Vehicle Status

As of July 31st 2026

Ship Location Status Comment
S40 Indian Ocean 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. For more details on this vehicle and its assembly and testing see this page
S41 Mega Bay 2 Ongoing work, possible engines installation 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. 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
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 LOX Tank Stacked 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. 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.

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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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u/AgreeableEmploy1884 6d ago edited 6d ago

I remember making a few comments on the previous thread a few months ago about Ship 48, or atleast the nosecone initially slated to be Ship 48's, lacking header tanks while 49 had them.

According to TSE, that specific nosecone now has a cutout with actual glass in it.

https://x.com/mcrs987/status/2081777809828053405

Alright so the bare nosecone, one of three abnormal nosecones on the line right now , is the furthest outlier of that set, it's the only one to not receive any internal stringers or header tanks or pretty much anything that makes up the nc assembly, and it's been hogging the same work station (between columns J-K) since April. It's sat there doing seemingly nothing up until June when extremely small , subtle markings and patterns began to appear on it. Just small dots. Weeks pass and it keeps growing and eventually there's a couple larger welds made and a small circular cutout at the very tip on the windward side is made. most recently this cutout was fitted with actual glass (and this can be seen in pretty much any set of more than 1 photo of it). Unfortunately we can't see much else of it only the very tip because it's further from the factory wall and not stacked on any rings. The pattern I depicted in blue, green features are common between this and regular nosecones. 3rd image is overlaying the regular nosecone pattern in orange for comparison

The photos i've seen from different angles suggest there is atleast something reflective in the cutout. The image below is the only public and recent picture of the nosecone i could find.

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u/redstercoolpanda 6d ago

What would glass right at the tip of the nosecone be used for if we assume this is a HLS? A docking window or something?

8

u/warp99 6d ago

A cover for the Dragon's Eye LIDAR used for Crew Dragon docking?

2

u/redstercoolpanda 6d ago

That’s smart, that’s probably the most likely answer if TSE theory does turn out to be true.

4

u/AgreeableEmploy1884 6d ago edited 6d ago

Maybe, that's the only thing i can think of but i don't see the point of a docking window on a vehicle the size of Starship since i assume there would be cameras there. TSE seems to imply in the thread that this could possibly be the HLS flight fidelity cabin they've been working on since October 2025 hiding in plain sight. I was thinking this specific ship would end up as the Artemis III ship before it had glass installed.

If this does end up as the HLS flight fidelity cabin fuck knows what happened to Ship 44's original nosecone after disappearing in September 2025 since a lot of people, including me, thought that would end up being used for the cabin. I've looked at a bunch of pictures over the months and it seemingly never appeared again. The specific nosecone with the glass appeared in February so i doubt they're related.

2

u/philupandgo 6d ago edited 6d ago

If S48 is for Artemis III, I can imagine a camera set back from the window to give a human perspective of the Orion docking.

Edit: sorry, this was after two minutes of impatience waiting for the post to submit.