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SpaceX Starbase

January 20, 2023

Starbase is a spaceport, production, and development facility for Starship rockets, located at Boca Chica, Texas, United States. It is in construction in the late 2010s and 2020s by SpaceX, an American aerospace manufacturer.

SpaceX Starbase
Starbase sign and tank facilities in construction
LocationBoca Chica, Cameron County, Texas, United States
Coordinates25°59′15″N 97°11′11″W / 25.98750°N 97.18639°W / 25.98750; -97.18639
OperatorSpaceX
Launch pad(s)3 (2 suborbital, 1 orbital)
Orbital Launch Pad launch history
Launches0
First launch2023 (planned)[1]
Associated
rockets
Suborbital Pad A and B launch history
Launches10 (all atmospheric)
First launch25 July 2019 (Starhopper)[2]
Last launch5 May 2021 (SN15)[3]
Associated
rockets
Landing history
Landings4
First landing25 July 2019 (Starhopper)
Last landing5 May 2021 (SN15)
Associated
rockets
  • Starhopper
  • Starship

When conceptualized, its stated purpose was "to provide SpaceX an exclusive launch site that would allow the company to accommodate its launch manifest and meet tight launch windows."[4] The launch site was originally intended to support launches of the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles as well as "a variety of reusable suborbital launch vehicles",[4] but in early 2018, SpaceX announced a change of plans, stating that the launch site would be used exclusively for SpaceX's next-generation launch vehicle, Starship.[5] Between 2018 and 2020, the site added significant rocket production and test capacity. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk indicated in 2014 that he expected "commercial astronauts, private astronauts, to be departing from South Texas,"[6] and he foresaw launching spacecraft to Mars from the site.[7]

Between 2012 and 2014, SpaceX considered seven potential locations around the United States for the new commercial launch facility. Generally, for orbital launches an ideal site would have an easterly water overflight path for safety and be located as close to the equator as possible in order to take advantage of the Earth's rotational speed. For much of this period, a parcel of land adjacent to Boca Chica Beach near Brownsville, Texas, was the leading candidate location, during an extended period while the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted an extensive environmental assessment on the use of the Texas location as a launch site. Also during this period, SpaceX began acquiring land in the area, purchasing approximately 41 acres (170,000 m2) and leasing 57 acres (230,000 m2) by July 2014. SpaceX announced in August 2014, that they had selected the location near Brownsville as the location for the new non-governmental launch site,[8] after the final environmental assessment completed and environmental agreements were in place by July 2014.[9][10][11] An orbital launch of the Starship would make it SpaceX's fourth active launch facility, following three launch locations that are leased from the US government.

SpaceX conducted a groundbreaking ceremony on the new launch facility in September 2014,[12][6] and soil preparation began in October 2015.[13][14] The first tracking antenna was installed in August 2016, and the first propellant tank arrived in July 2018. In late 2018, construction ramped up considerably, and the site saw the fabrication of the first 9 m-diameter (30 ft) prototype test vehicle, Starhopper, which was tested and flown March–August 2019. Through 2021, additional prototype flight vehicles are being built at the facility for higher-altitude tests. By March 2020, there were over 500 people employed at the facility, with most of the work force involved in 24/7 production operations for the third-generation SpaceX launch vehicle, Starship.

History

Private discussions between SpaceX and various state officials about a future private launch site began at least as early as 2011,[15] and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk mentioned interest in a private launch site for their commercial launches in a speech in September 2011.[16] The company publicly announced in August 2014 that they had decided on Texas as the location for their new non-governmental launch site, the SpaceX South Texas launch site.[8] Site soil work began in 2015 and major construction of facilities began in late-2018, with rocket engine testing and flight testing beginning in 2019.

The name Starbase began to be used more widely by SpaceX after March 2021 when SpaceX had some discussions described as a "casual enquiry" about incorporating a city to be called Starbase,[17][18] and by early 2022, the Starbase moniker for the SpaceX facilities in south Texas had become common.[19] Starbase is also used sometimes to describe the region of the Boca Chica subdelta peninsula surrounding the SpaceX facilities; see Boca Chica (Texas) § "Starbase", Texas.

Launch site selection and environmental assessment

As early as April 2007, at least five potential locations were publicly known, including "sites in Alaska, California, Florida,[20] Texas and Virginia."[21] In September 2012, it became clear that Georgia and Puerto Rico were also interested in pursuing the new SpaceX commercial spaceport facility.[22] The Camden County, Georgia, Joint Development Authority voted unanimously in November 2012 to "explore developing an aero-spaceport facility" at an Atlantic coastal site to support both horizontal and vertical launch operations.[23] The main Puerto Rico site under consideration at the time was land that had formerly been the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station.[4]: 87  By September 2012, SpaceX was considering seven potential locations for the new commercial launch pad around the United States. For much of the time since, the leading candidate location for the new facility was a parcel of land adjacent to Boca Chica Beach near Brownsville, Texas.

By early 2013, Texas remained the leading candidate for the location of the new SpaceX commercial launch facility, although Florida, Georgia and other locations also remained in the running. Legislation was introduced in the Texas Legislature to enable temporary closings of State beaches during launches, limit liability for noise and some other specific commercial spaceflight risks, as well as considering a package of incentives to encourage SpaceX to locate at the Brownsville, Texas, location.[24][25] 2013 economic estimates showed SpaceX investing approximately US$100 million in the development and construction of the facility[25] A US$15 million incentive package was approved by the Texas Legislature in 2013.[26]

From the beginning, one of the proposed locations for the new commercial-mission-only[4] spaceport had been south Texas. In April 2012, the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation initiated a Notice of Intent to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement[27] and public hearings on the new launch site, which would be located in Cameron County, Texas. The summary then indicated that the Texas site would support up to 12 commercial launches per year, including two Falcon Heavy launches.[28][29][21] The first public meeting was held in May 2012,[29][30] and the FAA released a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the location in south Texas in April 2013. Public hearings on the draft EIS occurred in Brownsville, followed by a public comment period ending in June 2013.[31][32][33] The draft EIS identified three parcels of land—total of 12.4 acres (5.0 ha)—that would notionally be used for the control center. In addition, SpaceX had leased 56.6 acres (22.9 ha) of land adjacent to the terminus of Texas State Highway 4, 20 acres (8.1 ha) of which would be used to develop the vertical launch area; the remainder would remain open space surrounding the launch facility.[4] In July 2014, the FAA officially issued its Record of Decision concerning the Boca Chica Beach facility, and found that "the proposal by Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies would have no significant impact on the environment,"[34] approving the proposal and outlining SpaceX's proposal.[34] The company formally announced selection of the Texas location in August 2014.[8]

In September 2013, the State of Texas General Land Office (GLO) and Cameron County signed an agreement outlining how beach closures would be handled in order to support a future SpaceX launch schedule. The agreement is intended to enable both economic development in Cameron County and protect the public's right to have access to Texas state beaches. Under the 2013 Texas plan, beach closures would be allowed but were not expected to exceed a maximum of 15 hours per closure date, with no more than three scheduled space flights between the Saturday prior to Memorial Day and Labor Day, unless the Texas GLO approves.[33]

In 2019, the FAA completed a reevaluation of the SpaceX facilities in South Texas, and in particular the revised plans away from a commercial spaceport to more of a spaceship yard for building and testing rockets at the facility, as well as flying different rockets—SpaceX Starship and prototype test vehicles—from the site than the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy envisioned in the original 2014 environmental assessment.[35] In May and August 2019, the FAA issued a written report with a decision that a new supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) would not be required.[36][37] In May 2021, the FAA issued a written FAQ regarding the FAA's Environmental Review of SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Operations at the Boca Chica Launch Site.[38]

In 2022, Starship had been delayed extensively from an orbital flight due to a delay in an FAA license to allow findings on environmental impact. On 13 June 2022, the FAA announced that Starbase was not creating a significant impact to the environment, yet listed more than 75 actions to be taken before review of an orbital launch license. Some of these actions include $5,000 contributions to wildlife non-profits in the area, making sure roadways stay open on certain days of the year, and actions to protect local sea turtle populations.[39]

Land acquisition

Prior to a final decision on the location of the spaceport, SpaceX began purchasing a number of real estate properties in Cameron County, Texas, beginning in June 2012.[31] By July 2014, SpaceX had purchased approximately 41 acres (170,000 m2) and leased 57 acres (230,000 m2) near Boca Chica Village and Boca Chica Beach[40] through a company named Dogleg Park LLC, a reference to the "dogleg" type of trajectory that rockets launched from Boca Chica will be required to follow.[41]

Prior to May 2013, five lots in the Spanish Dagger Subdivision in Boca Chica Village, adjacent to Highway 4 which leads to the proposed launch site, had been purchased. In May 2013, SpaceX purchased an additional three parcels, adding another 1 acre (4,000 m2),[31] plus four more lots with a total of 1.9 acres (7,700 m2) in July 2013, making a total of 12 SpaceX-purchased lots.[26] In November 2013, SpaceX substantially "increased its land holdings in the Boca Chica Beach area from 12 lots to 72 undeveloped lots" purchased, which encompass a total of approximately 24 acres (97,000 m2), in addition to the 56.5 acres (229,000 m2) leased from private property owners.[32] An additional few acres were purchased late in 2013, raising the SpaceX total "from 72 undeveloped lots to 80 lots totaling about 26 acres."[42] In late 2013, SpaceX completed a replat of 13 lots totaling 8.3 acres (34,000 m2) into a subdivision that they have named "Mars Crossing."[43][44]

In February 2014, they purchased 28 additional lots that surround the proposed complex at Boca Chica Beach, raising the SpaceX-owned land to approximately 36 acres (150,000 m2) in addition to the 56-acre (230,000 m2) lease.[43] SpaceX's investments in Cameron County continued in March 2014, with the purchase of more tracts of land, bringing the total number of lots it now owns to 90. Public records showed that the total land area that SpaceX then owned through Dogleg Park LLC was roughly 37 acres (150,000 m2). This is in addition to 56.5 acres (229,000 m2) that SpaceX then had under lease.[45] By September 2014, Dogleg Park completed a replat of lots totaling 49.3 acres (200,000 m2) into a second subdivision, this one named "Launch Site Texas", made up of several parcels of property previously purchased. This is the site of the launch site itself while the launch control facility is planned two miles west in the Mars Crossing subdivision. Dogleg Park has also continued purchasing land in Boca Chica, and now owns a total of "87 lots equaling more than 100 acres".[44]

SpaceX has also bought and is modifying several residential properties in Boca Chica Village, but apparently planning to leave them in residential use, about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the launch site.[46]

In September 2019, SpaceX extended an offer to buy each of the houses in Boca Chica Village for three times the fair market value along with an offer of VIP invitations to future launch events. The 3x offer was said to be "non-negotiable." Homeowners were given two weeks for this particular offer to remain valid.[47]

Construction

Major site construction at SpaceX's launch site in Boca Chica got underway in 2016, with site soil preparation for the launch pad in a process said to take two years, with significant additional soil work and significant construction beginning in late 2018. By September 2019, the site had been "transformed into an operational launch site – outfitted with the ground support equipment needed to support test flights of the methane-fueled Starship vehicles."[48] Lighter construction of fencing and temporary buildings in the control center area had begun in 2014.[44][49]

The Texas launch location was projected in the 2013 draft EIS to include a 20 acres (81,000 m2) vertical launch area and a 12.2 acres (49,000 m2) area for a launch control center and a launch pad directly adjacent to the eastern terminus of Texas State Highway 4.[4] Changes occurred based on actual land SpaceX was able to purchase and replat for the control center and primary spaceship build yard.

SpaceX broke ground on the new launch site in September 2014,[12] but indicated then that the principal work to build the facility was not expected to ramp up until late 2015[6] after the SpaceX launch site development team completed work on Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39A, as the same team was expected to manage the work to build the Boca Chica facility. Advance preparation work was expected to commence ahead of that. As of 2014, SpaceX anticipated spending approximately US$100 million over three to four years to build the Texas facility, while the Texas state government expected to spend US$15 million to extend utilities and infrastructure to support the new spaceport.[6] The design phase for the facility was completed by March 2015.[50] In the event, construction was delayed by the destruction of one of SpaceX two Florida launch facilities in a September 2016 rocket explosion, which tied up the launch site design/build team for over a year.

In order to stabilize the waterlogged ground at the coastal site, SpaceX engineers determined that a process known as soil surcharging would be required. For this to happen, some 310,000 cubic yards (240,000 m3) of new soil was trucked to the facility between October 2015 and January 2016.[13][51] In January 2016, following additional soil testing that revealed foundation problems, SpaceX indicated they were not planning to complete construction until 2017, and the first launch from Boca Chica was not expected until late 2018.[14][51][52] In February 2016, SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell stated that construction had been delayed by poor soil stability at the site, and that "two years of dirt work" would be required before SpaceX could build the launch facility, with construction costs expected to be higher than previously estimated.[53] The first phase of the soil stabilization process was completed by May 2016.[54]

 
A tracking station antenna installed at the control center

Two 9 m (30 ft) S-band tracking station antennas were installed at the site in 2016–2017.[55] They were formerly used to track the Space Shuttle during launch and landing[56][57] and made operational as tracking resources for crewed Dragon missions in 2018.

A SpaceX-owned 6.5-acre (26,000 m2) photovoltaic power station was installed on site to provide off-grid electrical power near the control center,[11][58][59] The solar farm was installed by SolarCity in January 2018.

Progress on building the pad had slowed considerably through 2017, much slower than either SpaceX or Texas state officials had expected when it was announced in 2014. Support for SpaceX, however, remained fairly strong amongst Texas public officials.[55] In January 2018, COO Shotwell said the pad might be used for "early vehicle testing" by late 2018 or early 2019 but that additional work would be required after that to make it into a full launch site.[60] SpaceX achieved this new target, with prototype rocket and rocket engine ground testing at Boca Chica starting in March 2019, and suborbital flight tests starting in July 2019.

In late 2018, construction ramped up considerably, and the site saw the development of a large propellant tank farm including a 95,000 gallon horizontal liquid oxygen tank[61] and 80,000 gallon liquid methane tank,[62] a gas flare, more offices, and a small flat square launch pad. The Starhopper prototype was relocated to the pad in March 2019, and first flew in late July 2019.[63]

In late 2018, the "Mars Crossing" subdivision developed into a shipyard, with the development of several large hangars, and several concrete jigs, on top of which large steel rocket airframes were fabricated, the first of which became the Starhopper test article. In February 2019, SpaceX confirmed that the first orbit-capable Starship and Super Heavy test articles would be manufactured nearby, at the "SpaceX South Texas build site."[64] By September 2019, the facility had been completely transformed into a new phase of an industrial rocket build facility, working multiple shifts and more than five days a week, able to support large rocket ground and flight testing.[48] As of November 2019 the SpaceX south Texas Launch Site crew has been working on a new launch pad for its Starship/Super Heavy rocket; the former launch site has been transformed to an assembly site for the Starship rocket.[65]

On 7 March 2021, it was revealed by Michael Baylor on Twitter that the SpaceX South Texas Launch Site may eventually expand to the south. The expansion could see the addition of 2 Suborbital test stands along with one orbital launch pad code-named Orbital Launch Mount B. The expansion could also include a new landing pad, an expansion to the current tank farm, a new tank farm situated next to the proposed Orbital Launch Mount B, expanded Suborbital Pad B decking and two integration towers situated to under-construction Orbital Launch Mount A and the proposed Orbital Launch Mount B.[66]

In March 2021, SpaceX received a "Determination of no hazard to air navigation" from the FAA for the 146 m (479 ft) launch tower that SpaceX is building that is intended to support orbital launches.[67] The period of construction shown on the FAA documents was April–July 2021 but the expiration date on the regulatory approval was 18 September 2021.[68]

The launch tower was fully stacked by late July 2021, when a crane lifted the ninth and final large steel section to the top of the tower at the orbital launch site (OLS). The tower is designed to have a set of large arms attached which will be used to stack both Super Heavy and the Starship second stage on the adjacent launch mount and, eventually, catch the rocket on return to the launch site as well. There will be no separate large crane attached to the top of the tower.[69] The launch mount ("Stage Zero") began construction in July 2020 when the rebar of the deep foundation began to rise above the ground. Soon six large steel circular launch supports rose from the ground[70] which would eventually support the massive weight of the launch table some ten months later. The mount got to full height on 31 July 2021 with the rollout and craning into place of the 370 t (370,000 kg; 820,000 lb) launch table, which had been custom built at the manufacturing site over the preceding months.[69] Musk has commented that Stage Zero is everything needed to both launch and catch the rocket, and that building it is at least as hard as the booster or ship.[69] As of 2 August 2021, launch mount and launch tower plumbing, electrical, and ground support equipment connections are yet to be completed. Soon after tests for Starships were taking a break, production started to get ready for the First Orbital Launch. They started making GSE tanks, Cyro shells, SN20, and Booster 4. As SN20 was completed, and Booster 4 and SN20 were rolled out to the launch site for a full stack. On August 6th 2021, SN20 was stacked on top of Booster 4 showing a great view of the two on the Orbital Launch Table giving us a great view of the future. SN20 soon after was taken back to the Production site, and Booster 4 as well to finish what needed to be finished between the two.

As of October 28, 2021, Starship SN20 and Booster 4 are at the launch site and are conducting proof tests for the First Orbital launch very soon. SN20 conducted two proof tests which were successful, but lost some heat tiles in the process, and recently conducted a pre burner test, and a raptor engine test firing up its engines, and lost some heat tiles again during the process which is very normal as tests are conducted to gather information for future tests. Booster 4 has not conducted any tests yet as it sits on its test stand waiting for its first proof tests or even a raptor engine test in the near future.

Operation

 
Vertical launch area of the SpaceX Texas facility, from the FAA draft EIS, April 2013.

The South Texas Launch Site is SpaceX's fourth active launch facility, and its first private facility. As of 2019, SpaceX leased three US government-owned launch sites: Vandenberg SLC 4 in California, and Cape Canaveral SLC-40 and Kennedy Space Center LC39A both in Florida.

The launch site is in Cameron County, Texas,[24] approximately 17 miles (27 km) east of Brownsville, with launch flyover range over the Gulf of Mexico.[4] The launch site is planned to be optimized for commercial activity, as well as used to fly spacecraft on interplanetary trajectories.[7]

Launches on orbital trajectories from Brownsville will have a constrained flight path, due to the Caribbean Islands as well as the large number of oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX has stated that they have a good flight path available for the launching of satellites on trajectories toward the commercially valuable geosynchronous orbit.[71]

Although SpaceX initial plans for the Boca Chica launch site were to loft robotic spacecraft to geosynchronous orbits, Elon Musk indicated in September 2014 that "the first person to go to another planet could launch from [the Boca Chica launch site]",[72] but did not indicate which launch vehicle might be used for those launches. In May 2018, Elon Musk clarified that the South Texas launch site would be used exclusively for Starship.[5]

By March 2019, two test articles of Starship were being built, and three by May.[73] The low-altitude, low-velocity Starship test flight rocket was used for initial integrated testing of the Raptor rocket engine with a flight-capable propellant structure, and was slated to also test the newly designed autogenous pressurization system that is replacing traditional helium tank pressurization as well as initial launch and landing algorithms for the much larger 9-metre-diameter (29 ft 6 in) rocket.[74] SpaceX originally developed their reusable booster technology for the 3-meter-diameter Falcon 9 from 2012 to 2018. The Starhopper prototype was also the platform for the first flight tests of the full-flow staged combustion methalox Raptor engine, where the hopper vehicle was flight tested with a single engine in July/August 2019,[75] but could be fitted with up to three engines to facilitate engine-out tolerance testing.[74] Starhopper currently stands to the side of the launchpad, hosting what appears to be radar equipment.[clarification needed][76][better source needed]

The launch site has been the main production and testing site of the Starship/Super Heavy system. All Starship vehicles have been constructed here besides the Mk2 prototype, which was built in Florida but never completed, and eventually scrapped.[77]

By March 2020, SpaceX had doubled the number of employees onsite for Starship manufacturing, test and operations since January, with over 500 employees working at the site. Four shifts are working 24/7—in 12-hour shifts with 4 days on then 3 off followed by 3 days on and 4 off—to enable continuous Starship manufacturing with workers and equipment specialized to each task of serial Starship production.[65] A 1 MW solar farm and a 3.8 MWh battery supplies some of the electricity.[78]

In September 2022, during a first test firing of all six engines of the Starship prototype, scattered hot debris ignited a SpaceX dumpster, and caused a bushfire in the nearby Las Palomas Wildlife Management Area, an environmentally sensitive area, ultimately destroying 68 acres before the fire could be doused.[79][80][81]

Impact

The new launch facility was projected in a 2014 study to generate US$85 million of economic activity in the city of Brownsville and eventually generate approximately US$51 million in annual salaries from some 500 jobs projected to be created by 2024.[82]

A local economic development board was created for south Texas in 2014—the Cameron County Space Port Development Corporation (CCSPDC)—in order to facilitate the development of the aerospace industry in Cameron County near Brownsville. The first project for the newly established board is the SpaceX project to develop a launch site at Boca Chica Beach.[83] In May 2015, Cameron County transferred ownership of 25 lots in Boca Chica to CCSPDC, which were stated could be used in the future to develop event parking.[84][needs update]

Effects on nearby homeowners

The launch facility was approved to be constructed two miles from approximately thirty homes, with no indication that this would cause problems for the homeowners. Five years later in 2019, following an FAA revaluation of the environmental impact[35] and the issuance of new FAA requirements that residents be asked to voluntarily stay outside their houses during particular tanking and engine ignition tests, SpaceX decided that a couple dozen of these homes were now too close to the launch facility over the long term and began seeking market acquisition of these properties.[85][needs update] An attorney with expertise on such situations referred to the timeframe given[clarification needed][86] by SpaceX for homeowners to consider their purchase offer as "aggressive".[87]

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service claimed that SpaceX had caused 1,000 hours of highway closures in 2019, well above the permitted 300 hours.[88] In June 2021, Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz threatened to prosecute SpaceX for unauthorized road and beach closures, as well as employing security officers who may not be licensed to carry handguns.[89][90][91]

Environmental concerns

Some residents of Boca Chica Village, Brownsville, and environmental activists criticized the Starship development program, stating that SpaceX had harmed local wildlife, conducted unauthorized test flights along with infrastructure construction, and polluted the area with noise.[92][93] Environmental groups warned that the program threatens wildlife in the area, including 18 vulnerable and endangered species.[94] A rare beetle species, the Boca Chica Flea Beetle (Chaetocnema rileyi), is known only from the beachside dune system next to the launchpad.[95][better source needed] The spaceport is built under the assumption that the Falcon Heavy rocket would launch there, thus creating a large radius where a Starship debris can land on.[96]

During the SN8 launch, SpaceX ignored FAA warnings that the flight profile posed a risk of explosion.[97] Following the launch, the FAA's Associate Administrator Wayne Monteith commented that SpaceX does not have a strong safety culture for not conducting thorough checks and following the FAA's statements.[97] Members of the United States Congress voiced concerns about the FAA's response, calling on the agency to not have too much influence over SpaceX. However, the FAA Administrator stated that while SpaceX had done several corrections for those violations, the FAA would not approve further flights if SpaceX did not continue to perform those corrections.[98] David Newstead, the director of one local environmental group, said that the explosion of SN11 left rocket debris on parts of the wildlife refuge that took three months to clean up.[99]

The FAA allowed the public to comment until 1 November on the environmental impact statement draft that is released on 19 September.[100] SpaceX's environmental assessment missed important details about the propellant source. One such example is SpaceX's plan of building a 250-megawatt gas-fired power plant without specifying how it would obtain tens of millions of cubic feet of gas per day. Pat Parenteau, a law professor and senior counsel for the Environmental Advocacy Clinic at Vermont Law School, stated that it was unusual to exclude such details, which could violate the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act.[101]

Research facilities

The Brownsville Economic Development Council (BEDC) was building a space tracking facility in Boca Chica Village on a 2.3-acre (9,300 m2) site adjacent to the SpaceX launch control center. The STARGATE tracking facility is a joint project of the BEDC, SpaceX, and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (formerly the University of Texas at Brownsville at the time the agreement was reached).[44][needs update]

Tourism

In January 2016, the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Advisory Board (CVA) recommended that the South Padre Island City Council "proceed with further planning regarding potential SpaceX viewing sites."[102]

See also

References

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External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to SpaceX Starbase.
  • SpaceX gets preliminary FAA nod for South Texas launch site, Waco Tribune-Herald, 16 April 2013.
  • Lone Star State Bets Heavily on a Space Economy, New York Times, 27 November 2014.

Coordinates: 25°59′49″N 97°09′25″W / 25.997°N 97.157°W / 25.997; -97.157

January 20, 2023
spacex, starbase, this, article, needs, updated, please, help, update, this, article, reflect, recent, events, newly, available, information, december, 2021, starbase, spaceport, production, development, facility, starship, rockets, located, boca, chica, texas. This article needs to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information December 2021 Starbase is a spaceport production and development facility for Starship rockets located at Boca Chica Texas United States It is in construction in the late 2010s and 2020s by SpaceX an American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX StarbaseStarbase sign and tank facilities in constructionLocationBoca Chica Cameron County Texas United StatesCoordinates25 59 15 N 97 11 11 W 25 98750 N 97 18639 W 25 98750 97 18639OperatorSpaceXLaunch pad s 3 2 suborbital 1 orbital Orbital Launch Pad launch historyLaunches0First launch2023 planned 1 AssociatedrocketsStarshipSuper HeavySuborbital Pad A and B launch historyLaunches10 all atmospheric First launch25 July 2019 Starhopper 2 Last launch5 May 2021 SN15 3 AssociatedrocketsStarhopperStarshipSuper Heavy Landing historyLandings4First landing25 July 2019 Starhopper Last landing5 May 2021 SN15 AssociatedrocketsStarhopperStarshipWhen conceptualized its stated purpose was to provide SpaceX an exclusive launch site that would allow the company to accommodate its launch manifest and meet tight launch windows 4 The launch site was originally intended to support launches of the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles as well as a variety of reusable suborbital launch vehicles 4 but in early 2018 SpaceX announced a change of plans stating that the launch site would be used exclusively for SpaceX s next generation launch vehicle Starship 5 Between 2018 and 2020 the site added significant rocket production and test capacity SpaceX CEO Elon Musk indicated in 2014 that he expected commercial astronauts private astronauts to be departing from South Texas 6 and he foresaw launching spacecraft to Mars from the site 7 Between 2012 and 2014 SpaceX considered seven potential locations around the United States for the new commercial launch facility Generally for orbital launches an ideal site would have an easterly water overflight path for safety and be located as close to the equator as possible in order to take advantage of the Earth s rotational speed For much of this period a parcel of land adjacent to Boca Chica Beach near Brownsville Texas was the leading candidate location during an extended period while the US Federal Aviation Administration FAA conducted an extensive environmental assessment on the use of the Texas location as a launch site Also during this period SpaceX began acquiring land in the area purchasing approximately 41 acres 170 000 m2 and leasing 57 acres 230 000 m2 by July 2014 SpaceX announced in August 2014 that they had selected the location near Brownsville as the location for the new non governmental launch site 8 after the final environmental assessment completed and environmental agreements were in place by July 2014 9 10 11 An orbital launch of the Starship would make it SpaceX s fourth active launch facility following three launch locations that are leased from the US government SpaceX conducted a groundbreaking ceremony on the new launch facility in September 2014 12 6 and soil preparation began in October 2015 13 14 The first tracking antenna was installed in August 2016 and the first propellant tank arrived in July 2018 In late 2018 construction ramped up considerably and the site saw the fabrication of the first 9 m diameter 30 ft prototype test vehicle Starhopper which was tested and flown March August 2019 Through 2021 additional prototype flight vehicles are being built at the facility for higher altitude tests By March 2020 there were over 500 people employed at the facility with most of the work force involved in 24 7 production operations for the third generation SpaceX launch vehicle Starship Contents 1 History 1 1 Launch site selection and environmental assessment 1 2 Land acquisition 1 3 Construction 1 4 Operation 2 Impact 2 1 Effects on nearby homeowners 2 2 Environmental concerns 2 3 Research facilities 2 4 Tourism 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksHistory EditPrivate discussions between SpaceX and various state officials about a future private launch site began at least as early as 2011 15 and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk mentioned interest in a private launch site for their commercial launches in a speech in September 2011 16 The company publicly announced in August 2014 that they had decided on Texas as the location for their new non governmental launch site the SpaceX South Texas launch site 8 Site soil work began in 2015 and major construction of facilities began in late 2018 with rocket engine testing and flight testing beginning in 2019 The name Starbase began to be used more widely by SpaceX after March 2021 when SpaceX had some discussions described as a casual enquiry about incorporating a city to be called Starbase 17 18 and by early 2022 the Starbase moniker for the SpaceX facilities in south Texas had become common 19 Starbase is also used sometimes to describe the region of the Boca Chica subdelta peninsula surrounding the SpaceX facilities see Boca Chica Texas Starbase Texas Launch site selection and environmental assessment Edit As early as April 2007 at least five potential locations were publicly known including sites in Alaska California Florida 20 Texas and Virginia 21 In September 2012 it became clear that Georgia and Puerto Rico were also interested in pursuing the new SpaceX commercial spaceport facility 22 The Camden County Georgia Joint Development Authority voted unanimously in November 2012 to explore developing an aero spaceport facility at an Atlantic coastal site to support both horizontal and vertical launch operations 23 The main Puerto Rico site under consideration at the time was land that had formerly been the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station 4 87 By September 2012 SpaceX was considering seven potential locations for the new commercial launch pad around the United States For much of the time since the leading candidate location for the new facility was a parcel of land adjacent to Boca Chica Beach near Brownsville Texas By early 2013 Texas remained the leading candidate for the location of the new SpaceX commercial launch facility although Florida Georgia and other locations also remained in the running Legislation was introduced in the Texas Legislature to enable temporary closings of State beaches during launches limit liability for noise and some other specific commercial spaceflight risks as well as considering a package of incentives to encourage SpaceX to locate at the Brownsville Texas location 24 25 2013 economic estimates showed SpaceX investing approximately US 100 million in the development and construction of the facility 25 A US 15 million incentive package was approved by the Texas Legislature in 2013 26 From the beginning one of the proposed locations for the new commercial mission only 4 spaceport had been south Texas In April 2012 the FAA s Office of Commercial Space Transportation initiated a Notice of Intent to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement 27 and public hearings on the new launch site which would be located in Cameron County Texas The summary then indicated that the Texas site would support up to 12 commercial launches per year including two Falcon Heavy launches 28 29 21 The first public meeting was held in May 2012 29 30 and the FAA released a draft Environmental Impact Statement EIS for the location in south Texas in April 2013 Public hearings on the draft EIS occurred in Brownsville followed by a public comment period ending in June 2013 31 32 33 The draft EIS identified three parcels of land total of 12 4 acres 5 0 ha that would notionally be used for the control center In addition SpaceX had leased 56 6 acres 22 9 ha of land adjacent to the terminus of Texas State Highway 4 20 acres 8 1 ha of which would be used to develop the vertical launch area the remainder would remain open space surrounding the launch facility 4 In July 2014 the FAA officially issued its Record of Decision concerning the Boca Chica Beach facility and found that the proposal by Elon Musk s Space Exploration Technologies would have no significant impact on the environment 34 approving the proposal and outlining SpaceX s proposal 34 The company formally announced selection of the Texas location in August 2014 8 In September 2013 the State of Texas General Land Office GLO and Cameron County signed an agreement outlining how beach closures would be handled in order to support a future SpaceX launch schedule The agreement is intended to enable both economic development in Cameron County and protect the public s right to have access to Texas state beaches Under the 2013 Texas plan beach closures would be allowed but were not expected to exceed a maximum of 15 hours per closure date with no more than three scheduled space flights between the Saturday prior to Memorial Day and Labor Day unless the Texas GLO approves 33 In 2019 the FAA completed a reevaluation of the SpaceX facilities in South Texas and in particular the revised plans away from a commercial spaceport to more of a spaceship yard for building and testing rockets at the facility as well as flying different rockets SpaceX Starship and prototype test vehicles from the site than the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy envisioned in the original 2014 environmental assessment 35 In May and August 2019 the FAA issued a written report with a decision that a new supplemental Environmental Impact Statement EIS would not be required 36 37 In May 2021 the FAA issued a written FAQ regarding the FAA s Environmental Review of SpaceX Starship Super Heavy Operations at the Boca Chica Launch Site 38 In 2022 Starship had been delayed extensively from an orbital flight due to a delay in an FAA license to allow findings on environmental impact On 13 June 2022 the FAA announced that Starbase was not creating a significant impact to the environment yet listed more than 75 actions to be taken before review of an orbital launch license Some of these actions include 5 000 contributions to wildlife non profits in the area making sure roadways stay open on certain days of the year and actions to protect local sea turtle populations 39 Land acquisition Edit Prior to a final decision on the location of the spaceport SpaceX began purchasing a number of real estate properties in Cameron County Texas beginning in June 2012 31 By July 2014 SpaceX had purchased approximately 41 acres 170 000 m2 and leased 57 acres 230 000 m2 near Boca Chica Village and Boca Chica Beach 40 through a company named Dogleg Park LLC a reference to the dogleg type of trajectory that rockets launched from Boca Chica will be required to follow 41 Prior to May 2013 five lots in the Spanish Dagger Subdivision in Boca Chica Village adjacent to Highway 4 which leads to the proposed launch site had been purchased In May 2013 SpaceX purchased an additional three parcels adding another 1 acre 4 000 m2 31 plus four more lots with a total of 1 9 acres 7 700 m2 in July 2013 making a total of 12 SpaceX purchased lots 26 In November 2013 SpaceX substantially increased its land holdings in the Boca Chica Beach area from 12 lots to 72 undeveloped lots purchased which encompass a total of approximately 24 acres 97 000 m2 in addition to the 56 5 acres 229 000 m2 leased from private property owners 32 An additional few acres were purchased late in 2013 raising the SpaceX total from 72 undeveloped lots to 80 lots totaling about 26 acres 42 In late 2013 SpaceX completed a replat of 13 lots totaling 8 3 acres 34 000 m2 into a subdivision that they have named Mars Crossing 43 44 In February 2014 they purchased 28 additional lots that surround the proposed complex at Boca Chica Beach raising the SpaceX owned land to approximately 36 acres 150 000 m2 in addition to the 56 acre 230 000 m2 lease 43 SpaceX s investments in Cameron County continued in March 2014 with the purchase of more tracts of land bringing the total number of lots it now owns to 90 Public records showed that the total land area that SpaceX then owned through Dogleg Park LLC was roughly 37 acres 150 000 m2 This is in addition to 56 5 acres 229 000 m2 that SpaceX then had under lease 45 By September 2014 Dogleg Park completed a replat of lots totaling 49 3 acres 200 000 m2 into a second subdivision this one named Launch Site Texas made up of several parcels of property previously purchased This is the site of the launch site itself while the launch control facility is planned two miles west in the Mars Crossing subdivision Dogleg Park has also continued purchasing land in Boca Chica and now owns a total of 87 lots equaling more than 100 acres 44 SpaceX has also bought and is modifying several residential properties in Boca Chica Village but apparently planning to leave them in residential use about 2 miles 3 2 km west of the launch site 46 In September 2019 SpaceX extended an offer to buy each of the houses in Boca Chica Village for three times the fair market value along with an offer of VIP invitations to future launch events The 3x offer was said to be non negotiable Homeowners were given two weeks for this particular offer to remain valid 47 Construction Edit Major site construction at SpaceX s launch site in Boca Chica got underway in 2016 with site soil preparation for the launch pad in a process said to take two years with significant additional soil work and significant construction beginning in late 2018 By September 2019 the site had been transformed into an operational launch site outfitted with the ground support equipment needed to support test flights of the methane fueled Starship vehicles 48 Lighter construction of fencing and temporary buildings in the control center area had begun in 2014 44 49 The Texas launch location was projected in the 2013 draft EIS to include a 20 acres 81 000 m2 vertical launch area and a 12 2 acres 49 000 m2 area for a launch control center and a launch pad directly adjacent to the eastern terminus of Texas State Highway 4 4 Changes occurred based on actual land SpaceX was able to purchase and replat for the control center and primary spaceship build yard SpaceX broke ground on the new launch site in September 2014 12 but indicated then that the principal work to build the facility was not expected to ramp up until late 2015 6 after the SpaceX launch site development team completed work on Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39A as the same team was expected to manage the work to build the Boca Chica facility Advance preparation work was expected to commence ahead of that As of 2014 update SpaceX anticipated spending approximately US 100 million over three to four years to build the Texas facility while the Texas state government expected to spend US 15 million to extend utilities and infrastructure to support the new spaceport 6 The design phase for the facility was completed by March 2015 50 In the event construction was delayed by the destruction of one of SpaceX two Florida launch facilities in a September 2016 rocket explosion which tied up the launch site design build team for over a year In order to stabilize the waterlogged ground at the coastal site SpaceX engineers determined that a process known as soil surcharging would be required For this to happen some 310 000 cubic yards 240 000 m3 of new soil was trucked to the facility between October 2015 and January 2016 13 51 In January 2016 following additional soil testing that revealed foundation problems SpaceX indicated they were not planning to complete construction until 2017 and the first launch from Boca Chica was not expected until late 2018 14 51 52 In February 2016 SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell stated that construction had been delayed by poor soil stability at the site and that two years of dirt work would be required before SpaceX could build the launch facility with construction costs expected to be higher than previously estimated 53 The first phase of the soil stabilization process was completed by May 2016 54 A tracking station antenna installed at the control center Two 9 m 30 ft S band tracking station antennas were installed at the site in 2016 2017 55 They were formerly used to track the Space Shuttle during launch and landing 56 57 and made operational as tracking resources for crewed Dragon missions in 2018 A SpaceX owned 6 5 acre 26 000 m2 photovoltaic power station was installed on site to provide off grid electrical power near the control center 11 58 59 The solar farm was installed by SolarCity in January 2018 Progress on building the pad had slowed considerably through 2017 much slower than either SpaceX or Texas state officials had expected when it was announced in 2014 Support for SpaceX however remained fairly strong amongst Texas public officials 55 In January 2018 COO Shotwell said the pad might be used for early vehicle testing by late 2018 or early 2019 but that additional work would be required after that to make it into a full launch site 60 SpaceX achieved this new target with prototype rocket and rocket engine ground testing at Boca Chica starting in March 2019 and suborbital flight tests starting in July 2019 In late 2018 construction ramped up considerably and the site saw the development of a large propellant tank farm including a 95 000 gallon horizontal liquid oxygen tank 61 and 80 000 gallon liquid methane tank 62 a gas flare more offices and a small flat square launch pad The Starhopper prototype was relocated to the pad in March 2019 and first flew in late July 2019 63 In late 2018 the Mars Crossing subdivision developed into a shipyard with the development of several large hangars and several concrete jigs on top of which large steel rocket airframes were fabricated the first of which became the Starhopper test article In February 2019 SpaceX confirmed that the first orbit capable Starship and Super Heavy test articles would be manufactured nearby at the SpaceX South Texas build site 64 By September 2019 the facility had been completely transformed into a new phase of an industrial rocket build facility working multiple shifts and more than five days a week able to support large rocket ground and flight testing 48 As of November 2019 the SpaceX south Texas Launch Site crew has been working on a new launch pad for its Starship Super Heavy rocket the former launch site has been transformed to an assembly site for the Starship rocket 65 On 7 March 2021 it was revealed by Michael Baylor on Twitter that the SpaceX South Texas Launch Site may eventually expand to the south The expansion could see the addition of 2 Suborbital test stands along with one orbital launch pad code named Orbital Launch Mount B The expansion could also include a new landing pad an expansion to the current tank farm a new tank farm situated next to the proposed Orbital Launch Mount B expanded Suborbital Pad B decking and two integration towers situated to under construction Orbital Launch Mount A and the proposed Orbital Launch Mount B 66 In March 2021 SpaceX received a Determination of no hazard to air navigation from the FAA for the 146 m 479 ft launch tower that SpaceX is building that is intended to support orbital launches 67 The period of construction shown on the FAA documents was April July 2021 but the expiration date on the regulatory approval was 18 September 2021 68 The launch tower was fully stacked by late July 2021 when a crane lifted the ninth and final large steel section to the top of the tower at the orbital launch site OLS The tower is designed to have a set of large arms attached which will be used to stack both Super Heavy and the Starship second stage on the adjacent launch mount and eventually catch the rocket on return to the launch site as well There will be no separate large crane attached to the top of the tower 69 The launch mount Stage Zero began construction in July 2020 when the rebar of the deep foundation began to rise above the ground Soon six large steel circular launch supports rose from the ground 70 which would eventually support the massive weight of the launch table some ten months later The mount got to full height on 31 July 2021 with the rollout and craning into place of the 370 t 370 000 kg 820 000 lb launch table which had been custom built at the manufacturing site over the preceding months 69 Musk has commented that Stage Zero is everything needed to both launch and catch the rocket and that building it is at least as hard as the booster or ship 69 As of 2 August 2021 update launch mount and launch tower plumbing electrical and ground support equipment connections are yet to be completed Soon after tests for Starships were taking a break production started to get ready for the First Orbital Launch They started making GSE tanks Cyro shells SN20 and Booster 4 As SN20 was completed and Booster 4 and SN20 were rolled out to the launch site for a full stack On August 6th 2021 SN20 was stacked on top of Booster 4 showing a great view of the two on the Orbital Launch Table giving us a great view of the future SN20 soon after was taken back to the Production site and Booster 4 as well to finish what needed to be finished between the two As of October 28 2021 Starship SN20 and Booster 4 are at the launch site and are conducting proof tests for the First Orbital launch very soon SN20 conducted two proof tests which were successful but lost some heat tiles in the process and recently conducted a pre burner test and a raptor engine test firing up its engines and lost some heat tiles again during the process which is very normal as tests are conducted to gather information for future tests Booster 4 has not conducted any tests yet as it sits on its test stand waiting for its first proof tests or even a raptor engine test in the near future Operation Edit Vertical launch area of the SpaceX Texas facility from the FAA draft EIS April 2013 Starhopper The South Texas Launch Site is SpaceX s fourth active launch facility and its first private facility As of 2019 update SpaceX leased three US government owned launch sites Vandenberg SLC 4 in California and Cape Canaveral SLC 40 and Kennedy Space Center LC39A both in Florida The launch site is in Cameron County Texas 24 approximately 17 miles 27 km east of Brownsville with launch flyover range over the Gulf of Mexico 4 The launch site is planned to be optimized for commercial activity as well as used to fly spacecraft on interplanetary trajectories 7 Launches on orbital trajectories from Brownsville will have a constrained flight path due to the Caribbean Islands as well as the large number of oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico SpaceX has stated that they have a good flight path available for the launching of satellites on trajectories toward the commercially valuable geosynchronous orbit 71 Although SpaceX initial plans for the Boca Chica launch site were to loft robotic spacecraft to geosynchronous orbits Elon Musk indicated in September 2014 that the first person to go to another planet could launch from the Boca Chica launch site 72 but did not indicate which launch vehicle might be used for those launches In May 2018 Elon Musk clarified that the South Texas launch site would be used exclusively for Starship 5 By March 2019 two test articles of Starship were being built and three by May 73 The low altitude low velocity Starship test flight rocket was used for initial integrated testing of the Raptor rocket engine with a flight capable propellant structure and was slated to also test the newly designed autogenous pressurization system that is replacing traditional helium tank pressurization as well as initial launch and landing algorithms for the much larger 9 metre diameter 29 ft 6 in rocket 74 SpaceX originally developed their reusable booster technology for the 3 meter diameter Falcon 9 from 2012 to 2018 The Starhopper prototype was also the platform for the first flight tests of the full flow staged combustion methalox Raptor engine where the hopper vehicle was flight tested with a single engine in July August 2019 75 but could be fitted with up to three engines to facilitate engine out tolerance testing 74 Starhopper currently stands to the side of the launchpad hosting what appears to be radar equipment clarification needed 76 better source needed The launch site has been the main production and testing site of the Starship Super Heavy system All Starship vehicles have been constructed here besides the Mk2 prototype which was built in Florida but never completed and eventually scrapped 77 By March 2020 SpaceX had doubled the number of employees onsite for Starship manufacturing test and operations since January with over 500 employees working at the site Four shifts are working 24 7 in 12 hour shifts with 4 days on then 3 off followed by 3 days on and 4 off to enable continuous Starship manufacturing with workers and equipment specialized to each task of serial Starship production 65 A 1 MW solar farm and a 3 8 MWh battery supplies some of the electricity 78 In September 2022 during a first test firing of all six engines of the Starship prototype scattered hot debris ignited a SpaceX dumpster and caused a bushfire in the nearby Las Palomas Wildlife Management Area an environmentally sensitive area ultimately destroying 68 acres before the fire could be doused 79 80 81 Impact EditThe new launch facility was projected in a 2014 study to generate US 85 million of economic activity in the city of Brownsville and eventually generate approximately US 51 million in annual salaries from some 500 jobs projected to be created by 2024 82 A local economic development board was created for south Texas in 2014 the Cameron County Space Port Development Corporation CCSPDC in order to facilitate the development of the aerospace industry in Cameron County near Brownsville The first project for the newly established board is the SpaceX project to develop a launch site at Boca Chica Beach 83 In May 2015 Cameron County transferred ownership of 25 lots in Boca Chica to CCSPDC which were stated could be used in the future to develop event parking 84 needs update Effects on nearby homeowners Edit The launch facility was approved to be constructed two miles from approximately thirty homes with no indication that this would cause problems for the homeowners Five years later in 2019 following an FAA revaluation of the environmental impact 35 and the issuance of new FAA requirements that residents be asked to voluntarily stay outside their houses during particular tanking and engine ignition tests SpaceX decided that a couple dozen of these homes were now too close to the launch facility over the long term and began seeking market acquisition of these properties 85 needs update An attorney with expertise on such situations referred to the timeframe given clarification needed 86 by SpaceX for homeowners to consider their purchase offer as aggressive 87 The United States Fish and Wildlife Service claimed that SpaceX had caused 1 000 hours of highway closures in 2019 well above the permitted 300 hours 88 In June 2021 Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz threatened to prosecute SpaceX for unauthorized road and beach closures as well as employing security officers who may not be licensed to carry handguns 89 90 91 Environmental concerns Edit Some residents of Boca Chica Village Brownsville and environmental activists criticized the Starship development program stating that SpaceX had harmed local wildlife conducted unauthorized test flights along with infrastructure construction and polluted the area with noise 92 93 Environmental groups warned that the program threatens wildlife in the area including 18 vulnerable and endangered species 94 A rare beetle species the Boca Chica Flea Beetle Chaetocnema rileyi is known only from the beachside dune system next to the launchpad 95 better source needed The spaceport is built under the assumption that the Falcon Heavy rocket would launch there thus creating a large radius where a Starship debris can land on 96 During the SN8 launch SpaceX ignored FAA warnings that the flight profile posed a risk of explosion 97 Following the launch the FAA s Associate Administrator Wayne Monteith commented that SpaceX does not have a strong safety culture for not conducting thorough checks and following the FAA s statements 97 Members of the United States Congress voiced concerns about the FAA s response calling on the agency to not have too much influence over SpaceX However the FAA Administrator stated that while SpaceX had done several corrections for those violations the FAA would not approve further flights if SpaceX did not continue to perform those corrections 98 David Newstead the director of one local environmental group said that the explosion of SN11 left rocket debris on parts of the wildlife refuge that took three months to clean up 99 The FAA allowed the public to comment until 1 November on the environmental impact statement draft that is released on 19 September 100 SpaceX s environmental assessment missed important details about the propellant source One such example is SpaceX s plan of building a 250 megawatt gas fired power plant without specifying how it would obtain tens of millions of cubic feet of gas per day Pat Parenteau a law professor and senior counsel for the Environmental Advocacy Clinic at Vermont Law School stated that it was unusual to exclude such details which could violate the U S National Environmental Policy Act 101 Research facilities Edit The Brownsville Economic Development Council BEDC was building a space tracking facility in Boca Chica Village on a 2 3 acre 9 300 m2 site adjacent to the SpaceX launch control center The STARGATE tracking facility is a joint project of the BEDC SpaceX and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley formerly the University of Texas at Brownsville at the time the agreement was reached 44 needs update Tourism Edit In January 2016 the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Advisory Board CVA recommended that the South Padre Island City Council proceed with further planning regarding potential SpaceX viewing sites 102 See also EditList of spaceports SpaceX reusable launch system development programReferences Edit 1st orbital test flight of SpaceX s Starship Mars rocket pushed to March at the earliest Space com 29 December 2021 Starhopper successfully conducts debut Boca Chica Hop 25 July 2019 SpaceX launches Starship SN15 rocket and sticks the landing in high altitude test flight Space com 5 May 2021 a b c d e f g Nield George C et al Office of Commercial Space Transportation April 2014 Volume I Executive Summary and Chapters 1 14 PDF Draft Environmental Impact Statement SpaceX Texas Launch Site Report Federal Aviation Administration HQ 0092 K2 Archived from the original PDF on 7 December 2013 a b Gleeson James Musk Elon et al 10 May 2018 Block 5 Phone Presser GitHubGist Archived from the original on 6 August 2018 Retrieved 2 August 2018 Our South Texas launch site will be dedicated to BFR because we get enough capacity with two launch complexes at Cape Canaveral and one at Vandenberg to handle all of the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy missions a b c d Foust Jeff 22 September 2014 SpaceX Breaks Ground on Texas Spaceport SpaceNews Archived from the original on 22 September 2014 Retrieved 14 January 2018 Under that development schedule Musk said the first launch from the Texas site could take place as soon as late 2016 a b Clark Steve 27 September 2014 SpaceX chief Commercial launch sites necessary step to Mars Brownsville Herald Archived from the original on 18 May 2017 Retrieved 30 September 2014 a b c Berger Eric 4 August 2014 Texas SpaceX announce spaceport deal near Brownsville Houston Chronicle Archived from the original on 9 August 2017 Retrieved 4 August 2014 Elon Musk s Futuristic Spaceport Is Coming to Texas Bloomberg Businessweek 16 July 2014 Archived from the original on 12 July 2014 Retrieved 11 July 2014 Klotz Irene 11 July 2014 FAA Ruling Clears Path for SpaceX Launch site in Texas Space News Archived from the original on 17 July 2014 Retrieved 16 July 2014 a b Perez Trevino Emma 29 July 2014 SpaceX BEDC request building permits Brownsville Herald Archived from the original on 13 January 2018 Retrieved 30 July 2014 a b SpaceX breaks ground at Boca Chica beach Brownsville Herald 22 September 2014 Archived from the original on 12 June 2017 Retrieved 22 September 2014 a b Perez Trevino Emma 22 October 2015 Soil headed to Boca Chica for SpaceX Valley Morning Star Archived from the original on 14 December 2016 Retrieved 24 October 2015 a b Foundation Problems Delay SpaceX Launch KRGV com 5news Rio Grande Valley Texas 18 January 2016 Archived from the original on 18 March 2016 Retrieved 14 January 2018 SpaceX s first launch was set for 2017 The company said the launch site won t be complete until 2017 They anticipate their first launch in 2018 Texas tries to woo SpaceX on launches Daily News 12 February 2014 Archived from the original on 23 February 2014 Retrieved 14 February 2014 Mark Hamrick Elon Musk 29 September 2011 National Press Club The Future of Human Spaceflight NPC video repository video National Press Club Event occurs at 32 30 Archived from the original on 15 May 2014 Retrieved 11 March 2014 Elon Musk tries to change name of Texas town with a tweet The Telegraph 3 March 2021 Archived from the original on 28 April 2021 Retrieved 28 April 2021 elonmusk 2 March 2021 Creating the city of Starbase Texas Tweet via Twitter Mooney Justin Bergin Chris 11 February 2022 Musk outlines Starship progress towards self sustaining Mars city NASASpaceFlight Retrieved 12 February 2022 Dean James 3 April 2013 Proposed Shiloh launch complex at KSC debated in Volusia Florida Today Archived from the original on 13 April 2014 Retrieved 6 April 2013 a b Details Emerge on SpaceX s Proposed Texas Launch Site Space News 16 April 2012 p 24 SpaceX is considering multiple potential locations around the country for a new commercial launch pad The Brownsville area is one of the possibilities Perez Trevino Emma 13 September 2012 Sanchez Texas offering 6M Florida giving 10M Brownsville Herald Retrieved 16 September 2012 permanent dead link Dickson Terry 16 November 2012 Camden County wants to open Georgia s first spaceport The Florida Times Union Archived from the original on 11 November 2017 Retrieved 11 November 2017 a b Foust Jeff 1 April 2013 The great state space race The Space Review Archived from the original on 5 February 2017 Retrieved 3 April 2013 In the best case scenario he said SpaceX would start construction of the spaceport next year and the first launches from the new facility would take place in two to three years a b Nelson Aaron M 5 May 2013 Brownsville leading SpaceX sweepstakes MySanAntonio com Archived from the original on 6 May 2013 Retrieved 6 May 2013 a b Perez Trevino Emma 15 August 2013 SpaceX buys more land Valley Morning Star Retrieved 17 August 2013 FAA Notice of Intent to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement PDF Federal Aviation Administration 3 April 2012 Archived PDF from the original on 29 July 2014 Retrieved 8 April 2012 SpaceX Proposes New Texas Launch Site Citizens in Space 9 April 2012 Archived from the original on 9 May 2013 a b Martinez Laura 10 April 2012 Brownsville area candidate for spaceport The Monitor Archived from the original on 14 April 2012 Retrieved 12 May 2012 Berger Eric 25 May 2012 Texas reaches out to land spaceport deal with SpaceX Houston Chronicle Archived from the original on 28 May 2012 Retrieved 27 May 2012 a b c Perez Trevino Emma 20 June 2013 SpaceX buys more land here Valley Morning Star Retrieved 25 June 2013 a b Perez Trevino Emma 23 November 2013 SpaceX buys more land in Cameron County Valley Morning Star Archived from the original on 27 November 2013 Retrieved 27 November 2013 a b Martinez Laura B 19 September 2013 SpaceX beach closure rules set Brownsville Herald Retrieved 26 September 2013 a b Perez Trevino Emma 9 July 2014 FAA approves SpaceX application to launch rockets from Cameron County beach The Monitor Archived from the original on 9 July 2014 Retrieved 16 July 2014 a b Mosher Dave 5 September 2019 New documents reveal SpaceX s plans for launching Mars rocket prototypes from South Texas Business Insider Archived from the original on 5 September 2019 Retrieved 6 September 2019 The new assessment covers SpaceX s shift away from developing a commercial spaceport and confronts its new reality as a skunkworks for Starship Written re evaluation of the 2014 final environmental impact statement for the Spacex Texas launch site PDF Federal Aviation Administration 21 May 2019 Archived PDF from the original on 14 May 2021 Retrieved 6 September 2019 the FAA has concluded that the issuance of launch licenses and or experimental permits to SpaceX to conduct Starship tests wet dress rehearsals static engine fires small hops and medium hops conforms to the prior environmental documentation that the data contained in the 2014 EIS remain substantially valid that there are no significant environmental changes and that all pertinent conditions and requirements of the prior approval have been met or will be met in the current action Therefore the preparation of a supplemental or new environmental document is not necessary Addendum to the 2019 written re evaluation for Spacex s reusable launch vehicle experimental test program at the Spacex launch site PDF Federal Aviation Administration 21 August 2019 Archived PDF from the original on 14 May 2021 Retrieved 6 September 2019 The proposed experimental test program has progressed to the extent that further operational details can be provided and considered within the context of the 2014 Final Environmental Impact Statement for the SpaceX Texas Launch Site 2014 ElS This addendum re evaluates the potential environmental consequences of the updated operational details within the context of the 2014 ElS Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the FAA s Environmental Review of SpaceX Starship Super Heavy Operations at the Boca Chica Launch Site Archived 14 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine Federal Aviation Administration accessed 14 May 2021 Sheetz Michael 13 June 2022 FAA requires SpaceX to make environmental adjustments to move forward with its Starship program in Texas CNBC Retrieved 14 June 2022 Perez Trevino Emma 24 May 2014 SpaceX buys land Valley Morning Star Retrieved 16 July 2014 Perez Trevino Emma 19 August 2013 Cameron County closes two streets for SpaceX Brownsville Herald Retrieved 17 October 2017 Perez Trevino Emma 6 January 2014 SpaceX buys more Cameron County land Brownsville Herald Retrieved 7 January 2014 a b Perez Trevino Emma 19 February 2014 SpaceX continues local land purchases Valley Morning Star Retrieved 21 February 2014 a b c d Perez Trevino Emma 25 September 2014 SpaceX makes more moves Valley Morning Star Archived from the original on 27 September 2014 Retrieved 27 September 2014 SpaceX still buying land Valley Morning Star The New Residents Renovation planned for house linked to SpaceX Valley Morning Star 29 August 2014 Archived from the original on 24 December 2015 Retrieved 30 August 2014 SpaceX launch pad transforms tiny Texas neighborhood Where the hell do I go now CBS News 18 September 2019 Archived from the original on 20 September 2019 Retrieved 19 September 2019 a b Baylor Michael 21 September 2019 Elon Musk s upcoming Starship presentation to mark 12 months of rapid progress NASASpaceFlight com Archived from the original on 21 June 2020 Retrieved 22 September 2019 at SpaceX s launch site in Boca Chica there was not much more than a mound of dirt in September 2018 but one year later the mound of dirt has been transformed into an operational launch site outfitted with the ground support equipment needed to support test flights of the methane fueled Starship vehicles Clark Steve 4 February 2015 SpaceX vendor fairs slated The Monitor Archived from the original on 4 February 2015 Retrieved 4 February 2015 Perez Trevino Emma 14 March 2015 SpaceX prepping for construction Valley Morning Star Archived from the original on 16 March 2015 Retrieved 16 March 2015 a b Huertas Tiffany 11 February 2016 SpaceX working to stabilize land at rocket launch site CBS4 ValleyCentral com Archived from the original on 13 February 2016 Retrieved 13 February 2016 Clark Stephen 6 September 2016 SpaceX may turn to other launch pads when rocket flights resume Spaceflight Now Archived from the original on 9 September 2016 Retrieved 8 September 2016 Foust Jeff 4 February 2014 SpaceX seeks to accelerate Falcon 9 production and launch rates this year SpaceNews Archived from the original on 9 February 2016 Retrieved 6 February 2016 Huertas Tiffany 18 May 2016 SpaceX construction causing problems for surrounding residents ValleyCentral com KGBT TV Archived from the original on 14 June 2016 Retrieved 14 June 2016 a b Bob Sechler 22 November 2017 Progress slow at SpaceX s planned spaceport WSB TV 2 Archived from the original on 6 January 2018 Retrieved 4 January 2018 Clark Steve 13 August 2016 SpaceX moving two giant antennas to Boca Chica Brownsville Herald Archived from the original on 2 December 2019 Pearlman Robert Z 2 August 2011 NASA Closes Historic Antenna Station That Tracked Every Space Shuttle Launch Space com News Archived from the original on 19 January 2018 Retrieved 19 January 2018 Perez Trevino Emma 6 August 2015 Solar project planned for SpaceX Valley Morning Star Archived from the original on 24 January 2018 Retrieved 1 September 2015 Swanner Nate 7 August 2014 SpaceX launch facility goes green will have solar panel field Slash Gear Archived from the original on 2 April 2015 Retrieved 18 March 2015 Rumbaugh Andrea 11 January 2018 Aerospace talent in Texas lauded Houston Chronicle SpaceX has a rocket engine testing facility in McGregor and is building a launch site in Boca Chica said Gwynne Shotwell president and chief operating officer of SpaceX The latter project she said will be ready late this year or early next year for early vehicle testing SpaceX will then continue working toward making it a launch site BrownsvilleNews 11 July 2018 A 95 000 gallon SpaceX liquid oxygen tank is hauled through Brownsville Wednesday to its final destination at the SpaceX launch site on Boca Chica Beach Photos by Miguel Roberts RGV Tweet via Twitter Clark Steve 8 November 2018 Work picks up in South Texas for SpaceX launch projects Associated Press Archived from the original on 14 May 2021 Retrieved 6 February 2021 Burghardt Thomas 25 July 2019 Starhopper successfully conducts debut Boca Chica Hop NasaSpaceflight com Archived from the original on 26 July 2019 Retrieved 4 August 2019 Ralph Eric 16 February 2019 SpaceX job posts confirm Starship s Super Heavy booster will be built in Texas Teslarati Archived from the original on 17 February 2019 Retrieved 17 February 2019 fabricators will work to build the primary airframe of the Starship and Super Heavy vehicles at the SpaceX South Texas build site They will work with an elite team of other fabricators and technicians to rapidly build the tank cylindrical structure tank bulkheads and other large associated structures for the flight article design of both vehicles a b Berger Eric 5 March 2020 Inside Elon Musk s plan to build one Starship a week and settle Mars Ars Technica Archived from the original on 5 March 2020 Retrieved 5 March 2020 Baylor Michael 7 March 2021 Here is the SpaceX Boca Chica launch site construction plan Twitter Archived from the original on 7 March 2021 Retrieved 11 March 2021 Aeronautical Study No 2021 ASW 4185 OE DETERMINATION OF NO HAZARD TO AIR NAVIGATION faa gov Federal Aviation Administration 18 March 2021 Archived from the original on 14 May 2021 Retrieved 8 April 2021 Form 7460 1 for ASN 2021 ASW 4185 OE obstruction evaluation faa gov Federal Aviation Administration 18 March 2021 Archived from the original on 8 April 2021 Retrieved 8 April 2021 a b c Bergin Chris 2 August 2021 Starbase Surge sees SpaceX speed ahead with Booster 4 and Ship 20 NasaSpaceFlight com Archived from the original on 2 August 2021 Retrieved 2 August 2021 Navin Joseph Kanayama first2 Lee 27 August 2020 Boca work continues as SpaceX marks anniversary of Starhopper s final flight NasaSpaceFlight com Retrieved 2 August 2021 Gwynne Shotwell 21 March 2014 Broadcast 2212 Special Edition interview with Gwynne Shotwell audio file The Space Show Event occurs at 03 00 04 05 2212 Archived from the original mp3 on 22 March 2014 Retrieved 22 March 2014 we are threading the needle a bit both with the islands as well as the oil rigs but it is still a good flight path to get commercial satellites to GEO Solomon Dan 23 September 2014 SpaceX Plans To Send People From Brownsville To Mars in Order To Save Mankind TexasMonthly Archived from the original on 28 September 2014 Retrieved 24 September 2014 Baylor Michael 17 May 2019 SpaceX considering SSTO Starship launches from Pad 39A NASASpaceFlight Archived from the original on 18 May 2019 Retrieved 18 May 2019 a b Gebhardt Chris 3 April 2019 Starhopper conducts Raptor Static Fire tests NASASpaceFlight Archived from the original on 4 April 2019 Retrieved 15 March 2020 Burghardt Thomas 25 July 2019 Starhopper successfully conducts debut Boca Chica Hop NASASpaceFlight Archived from the original on 26 July 2019 Retrieved 15 March 2020 SpaceX Starship Texas Prototype s Thread 2 Photos and Updates forum nasaspaceflight com Archived from the original on 21 June 2020 Retrieved 3 August 2020 julia bergeron 22 July 2020 Going going almost gone Progress continues on MK2 today in Cocoa FL A flatbed truck entered the facility presumably to haul away more scrap As of this morning both nosecone sections remain on site Tweet Archived from the original on 22 July 2020 Retrieved 3 August 2020 via Twitter Tesla supplying Power Pack for SpaceX Starbase 8MWh BESS expansion Energy Storage News 5 May 2022 Fire at SpaceX launch site burns 68 acres at protected refuge killing wildlife news yahoo com Retrieved 16 September 2022 Ralph Eric 9 September 2022 SpaceX Starship prototype ignites six engines starts major brush fire TESLARATI Retrieved 16 September 2022 SpaceX Starship Prototype Belches Superhot Debris Causes Literal Dumpster Fire Gizmodo 9 September 2022 Retrieved 16 September 2022 Jervis Rick 6 October 2014 Texas border town to become next Cape Canaveral USA Today Archived from the original on 15 October 2014 Retrieved 17 November 2014 Long Gary 30 July 2014 Board meets regarding SpaceX project Brownsville Herald Retrieved 31 July 2014 Perez Trevino Emma 10 May 2015 Expanding the future Valley Morning Star Retrieved 14 May 2015 Flahive Paul 26 September 2019 SpaceX Squares Off Against Homeowners Near Texas Launch Facility All Things Considered National Public Radio Archived from the original on 29 September 2019 Retrieved 29 September 2019 Great Job ISRO On Historic NASA SpaceX Mission The Indian Hawk Archived from the original on 4 July 2020 Retrieved 2 July 2020 Masunaga Samantha 1 October 2019 To reach Mars SpaceX is trying to buy up a tiny Texas community Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on 6 October 2019 Retrieved 7 October 2019 SpaceX launch site brings controversy to Texas town www cbsnews com Archived from the original on 9 October 2021 Retrieved 9 October 2021 Wattles Jackie 17 June 2021 Texas authorities threaten SpaceX with legal action over beach closures private security CNN Business Archived from the original on 13 August 2021 Retrieved 9 October 2021 De La Garza Erik 26 June 2021 Threatened With Prosecution SpaceX Defends Its Activities in South Texas Courthouse News Service Archived from the original on 2 July 2021 Retrieved 9 October 2021 B Martinez Laura 15 June 2021 Cameron County DA SpaceX may be violating Texas law MyRGV com Archived from the original on 25 June 2021 Retrieved 9 October 2021 Sheetz Michael 14 July 2021 FAA warns SpaceX that massive Starship launch tower in Texas is unapproved CNBC Archived from the original on 4 September 2021 Retrieved 24 September 2021 Koren Marina 11 February 2020 Why SpaceX Wants a Tiny Texas Neighborhood So Badly The Atlantic Archived from the original on 15 August 2021 Retrieved 24 September 2021 Wray Dianna 5 September 2021 Elon Musk s SpaceX launch site threatens wildlife Texas environmental groups say The Guardian Archived from the original on 8 October 2021 Retrieved 8 October 2021 Species Chaetocnema rileyi bugguide net Retrieved 11 February 2022 SpaceX s monstrous dirt cheap Starship may transform space travel The Economist 19 February 2022 ISSN 0013 0613 Retrieved 11 March 2022 a b Roulette Joey 15 June 2021 SpaceX ignored last minute warnings from the FAA before December Starship launch The Verge Archived from the original on 6 October 2021 Retrieved 8 October 2021 Congress raises concerns about FAA s handling of Starship launch license violation SpaceNews 29 March 2021 Archived from the original on 9 October 2021 Retrieved 8 October 2021 SpaceX launch site brings controversy to Texas town www cbsnews com Archived from the original on 9 October 2021 Retrieved 13 October 2021 Shepardson David 30 September 2021 U S extends environmental review for SpaceX program in Texas Reuters Archived from the original on 1 October 2021 Retrieved 4 October 2021 The mystery of Elon Musk s missing gas TechCrunch Archived from the original on 9 October 2021 Retrieved 8 October 2021 Kunkle Abbey 15 January 2016 City moves forward with viewing facility Port Isabel South Padre Press Archived from the original on 20 January 2016 Retrieved 25 January 2016 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to SpaceX Starbase SpaceX gets preliminary FAA nod for South Texas launch site Waco Tribune Herald 16 April 2013 Lone Star State Bets Heavily on a Space Economy New York Times 27 November 2014 Coordinates 25 59 49 N 97 09 25 W 25 997 N 97 157 W 25 997 97 157 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title SpaceX Starbase amp oldid 1132954580, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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