2026-05-13:

• Build site: Overnight, B21’s A3:4 section enters Megabay 1. (ViX)
• Launch site: The yellow rented LR11000 crane ambles around a bit. (ViX)
• Concrete is poured behind the “GATEWAY TO MARS” sign. (ViX)
• Crews are observed inspecting the Pad 2 launch mount. (Overstreet)
• Louisiana: Flyover photos of Pecan Island, the 136k acre site SpaceX may be considering for another set of Starship launch pads. (SERobinsonJr)
• Other: Long-time Falcon structures engineer Jessie Anderson moves to Starship. (whoisheartbreak)

Should crosspost this to !vintageads@sh.itjust.works

Hold called at T-28 seconds due to weather.

Given the instantaneous launch window, that’s a scrub for the day.

Edit: Yup, and that’s a 2-day recycle.

NASA webcast is live: https://youtube.com/watch?v=dF-GsJmqJA8

True, but the maximum height of a rocket is limited by the performance of the engines. Each engine must produce sufficient thrust to lift the column of propellant above it.

Raptor 3 engines are certainly no slouch in this regard.

2026-05-12:

• Launch site: A few tests of the ship quick disconnect and arm are performed. (ViX)
• S39 is destacked from B19. (NSF, JLP734, Liedtke)
• S39 rolls back to Megabay 2. (NSF, Avid Space, ViX, Evans)
• B19 rollback is delayed to 17:00. (ViX)
• B19 is destacked from the Pad 2 launch mount. (NSF 1, Evans, NSF 2)
• B19 rolls to Megabay 1. (ViX, TrackingTheSB 1, TrackingTheSB 2, wvmattz)
• Build site: The transfer tubes for S41 re-enter Megabay 2. Hopefully they stay there this time. (ViX)
• B19 is transferred to a work stand. B21’s A3:4 section is staged outside Megabay 1. (TrackingTheSB)
• Massey’s: A new temporary flight restriction is posted for Massey’s, spanning from May 12th 19:23 UTC to 15th May 07:00 UTC, potentially for an additional static fire of S39. (ViX, Caton)
• McGregor: May 11th addendum: Another of B19’s original engines (R3.67, I think) and a new R-vac (R3.146) are observed. (Rhin0)
• Louisiana: Possible location for another set of Starship launch pads. (SERobinsonJr, SpaceX, Elon)

• Flight 12: SpaceX post the launch page and a Starship v3 overview. Scheduled highlights:
• No booster catch, only splashdown.
• Payload deploy demonstration, including two satellites to transmit imagery of heatshield prior to reentry.
• Raptor relight.
• Ship landing burn will down-select to a single engine.
• Chopstick actuators have been changed from hydraulic to electromechanical.

Whoops, looks like I’m wrong. Your photo not of a Styracosaurus, but rather a Kosmoceratops.

https://bsky.app/profile/rykllan.bsky.social/post/3mlmx3izwqc2k

#Falcon9 fairing halves of #NROL172

https://bsky.app/profile/rykllan.bsky.social/post/3mldxfikdpc2h

#Falcon9 fairing halves of #Starlink 17-29

2026-05-11:

• Launch site: Overnight, installation of the new tower vent is completed. (ViX)
• Pad is clear. (ViX)
• New vents are observed on the tank farm. (ViX)
• B19 + S39 perform a full stack wet dress rehearsal, including flap and deluge testing. (NSF full livestream)
• Timelapses. (NSF 1, NSF 2, Avid Space, ViX)
• SpaceX confirm launch rehearsal complete.
• Humans are observed to be investigating the ship quick disconnect. (Alexphysics13)
• Closures for May 12th and 13th are revoked. (ViX)
• Chopsticks descend and close around S39. (ViX)
• The rented yellow LR11000 crane is erected. (ViX)
• Road delays for “Pad to Production” are posted for May 12th from 06:30 to 10:00 and from 12:00 to 16:00. (starbase.texas.gov, archive)
• Two more frame sections are added to the Pad 1 launch mount ground support equipment bunker. (ViX)
• Flight 12: New NOTMARS suggest that launch is now NET May 19th 17:30 CT (22:30 UTC) backup on May 21st at the same time. (pewpewturtle69 / spacecoastwest)
• Build site: The transfer tubes for S41 enter Megabay 2, then exit. (ViX 1, ViX 2)
• S41 aft flaps and raceways are in position next to the centre work stand. (ViX)
• Florida: Marmac 31, a.k.a. You’ll Thank Me Later arrives at Port Canaveral, and the vessel now has a roof. This vessel will be used to transport boosters and ships from Starbase to The Cape. (Avid Space, Cornwell 1, Cornwell 2, Pike)

Stage 1 landing confirmed!

As expected, no coverage of Stage 2, because it’s an NRO launch :)

MECO, stage separation, M-vac ignition, and fairing separation.

Liftoff!

Vandenberg is foggy, as usual.

Webcast is live. Tucker Spencer-Wallace (Senior Starlink Engineer) is hosting.

Styracosaurus?

“Tonight, on this episode of Top Gear Starbase…”

2026-05-10:

• Timelapses of May 9th evening Pad 2 testing, including some unusual venting from the ship quick disconnect. (ViX 1, ViX 2)
• Launch site: Overnight, many cryo tankers are observed refilling the tank farm. (ViX)
• Beach closures are posted for May 11th through 13th, all 08:00 to 20:00. (starbase.texas.gov, archive)
• The tri-vent structure is removed from Tower 2 and replaced with a uni-vent. (ViX 1, ViX 2, TrackingTheSB, RoughRidersShow, )
• RGV Aerial perform a flyover of the site. (photo, video)
• McGregor: ~5 cm per pixel satellite imagery of four Raptor 3 engines being delivered. (mcrs987 1, mcrs987 2, mcrs987 3)

2026-05-09:

• May 8th addendum: Close-up video of abrupt SPMT shutdown during S39 rollout. ( Gisler 2)
• Pad 2: S39 is stacked on B19. (NSF 1, NSF 2, NSF 3, NSF timelapse 1, NSF timelapse 2, ViX 1, ViX 2, ViX 3, Gisler, Sorensen, RGV Aerial, Overstreet 1, Overstreet 2, Overstreet 3, Overstreet 4, Doehring 1, Doehring 2, cnunez 1, cnunez 2, cnunez 3, cnunez 4, Gomez, SpaceX 1, SpaceX 2, NSF full livestream)
• Ship quick disconnect is attached. (NSF)
• S39 flaps are tested. (ViX)
• Further examination of the Avid Space SUV suggests that windows may have been broken by flying debris rather than the pressure waves. (Avid Space)
• Road is closed. (ViX, TrackingTheSB)
• The booster transport stand and the ship transport stand depart from the launch site, pad is cleared. (ViX)
• The Pad 2 chopsticks are rise to the top of the tower. (ViX)
• Tank farm is active. (TrackingTheSB, RGV Aerial)
• Wet dress rehearsal aborted. Road block is moved back towards the pad, beach is opened. (TrackingTheSB 1, TrackingTheSB 2, NSF, Overstreet, NSF full livestream)
• Pad 1: Movement of the chopsticks is observed. (ViX)

@Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world, I’m not aware of any non-Xitter context, but you could try always try an alternative front-end like xcancel.

Or I could simply copy the relevant content for you here:

2026-05-08:

• Launch site: Overnight, a skate from the Tower 2 column nearest to the catch arms is removed. (ViX)
• Beach closure for May 9th is changed to 12:00 to 23:59. (starbase.texas.gov, archive)
• Replacement of the skate on the Tower 2 chopsticks carriage is underway. (ViX, NSF, RGV Aerial, Killip diagram)
• Seismic data from the recent B19 static fire. Peak ground velocity of ~0.11 mm/s at a distance of 5.7 miles, with dominant energy near 8.3 Hz. Estimated equivalent of at most a magnitude 2 earthquake. (Avid Space)
• Slow motion video of pressure waves from B19’s recent static fire. (Avid Space)
• Build site: The ship transport ring reenters Megabay 2. (ViX)
• Road delay is pushed to 17:00 to 22:00. (ViX)
• S39 is transferred to a transport stand in Megabay 2. (Avid Space)
• S39 exits Megabay 2 and moves onto Highway 4. (TrackingTheSB 1, TrackingTheSB 2, NSF, Sorensen, RGV Aerial 1, RGV Aerial 2 Ramirez, Gomez)
• S39 stops briefly after something fell and caused a loud sound. (TrackingTheSB / RoughRidersShow, TrackingTheSB 2, NSF, )
• S39 arrives at Pad 2, and is positioned between the chopsticks. (TrackingTheSB, Evans 1, NSF, Evans 2, Overstreet 1, Overstreet 2, wvmattz, NSF full livestream)
• A section for the new Pad 1 launch mount is lifted and moved at Sanchez. (ViX)
• Flight 12: Mexican NOTAM is posted for NET May 15th at 22:30 UTC / 17:30 CDT. (FAA / Caton / NeedPizza42)
• McGregor: May 7th addendum: Raptor centre engines R3.67, R3.61 and R3.152 arrive at the testing area, and R3.61 departs. R-vac R3.106 departs. (Rhin0)
• Florida: The “Ibproofin” launch mount clamp testing structure is observed, likely on its way to test the clamps at LC-39A. (Killip)