Starship Fully Stacked Again as SpaceX Ramps Up Production Rate

The 420 stack | Credit: Nic Ansuini/NASASpaceflight

On Tuesday, March 15, SpaceX restacked Ship 20 and Booster 4 together with the Mechazilla chopsticks. This follows a series of separate testing that started in September 2021. B4 and S20 have so far had 6 cryogenic proof tests each. In addition to that, S20 had 4 static fire tests. Now that they are fully stacked, they are expected to have testing together. Since Booster 4 has not been static fired yet, it is unknown whether there'll be a full stack static fire. It is possible that after cryo testing, S20 and B4 may be destacked for the B4 static fire and then restacked for launch. It is also possible that the pair will only be used for testing, but not an orbital launch.

Meanwhile, ship and booster production are ramping up.

Credit: Brendan Lewis

Booster 7 is now fully stacked in High Bay while Ship 24 and Booster 8 are being stacked. Meanwhile, sections of S25, S26, and B9 are being spotted. It seems likely that Ship 22 will never fly since it was put on a display stand with SN15, SN16, and B5 (which will not fly). SN16 will likely be moved to the Brownsville/South Padre Airport, as tweeted by Elon Musk.

Stay tuned for more Starship updates from us and the Starship Academy course coming this Spring. You can also keep an eye on Starship development on NASASpaceflight's 24/7 stream (below) and on our co-owner's wiki at starship-spacex.fandom.com.