Michael visits STARBASE
In late November 2021 Michael visited SpaceX´s STARBASE in Bocca Chica, Texas. This is the next generation rocket production facility, test site, and spaceport constructed by SpaceX. The launch site has been the main production and testing site of the Starship/Super Heavy system.
There is currently a lot of construction work going on on the launchpad as the first orbital flight of Starship SN20 from Starbase to Hawaii is scheduled for January 2022. Starship SN 20 was on the launch pad during Michael´s visit along with 2 Super Heavy boosters and the new mount and catch tower. The gigantic structure which Elon Musk nicknamed "Mechazilla", is now completed and stands about 145 m (440 ft) tall. The teams can now undergo the process of outfitting the tower with large actuator arms, hydraulic systems, fuel lines, and other components. The tower’s primary purpose is to assemble and to the catch in mid air. The returning booster and maybe even the Starship itself when returning from space. This sounds like pure Science Fiction and has never been tried before. Ultimately, though, SpaceX’s unprecedented Starship launch/catch tower will remain a mystery until it’s fully assembled and in active use. Starship is a fully reusable launch system in which consists of a first stage named Super Heavy and a second stage named Starship. Both stages are made from stainless steel and designed to hold liquid oxygen and liquid methane. Before launch, a specialized tower stacks Starship's stages and launch pad to mount the vehicle. Starship can send more than 100 metric tons (220,000 lb) to low Earth orbit; higher Earth and other orbits are accessible after being refueled by tanker Starships. Future Starship variants will be able to land on the Moon and Mars.