In a video shared by NASASpaceflight, a large robotic arm can be seen welding the front end of the Starship rocket inside the "Starfactory" - a giant manufacturing facility at SpaceX's "Starbase" launch complex in South Texas.
Based on documents from The Launch Pad Network, SpaceX is aiming to conduct the seventh test of Starship on January 11 (if nothing changes).
The test launch is expected to use a new generation of Starship prototypes, called “Block 2,” and the first of that generation is called “Ship 33.” It is unclear whether the rocket’s nose cone in the video is from Ship 33 or another Block 2 prototype.
SpaceX robot welds the nose of the Starship. (Video: NASASpaceflight)
The new prototype version includes several notable improvements, such as a new front wing design, upgraded heat shield layout, increased fuel capacity, and can provide more thrust than previous versions, among many other changes.
SpaceX is making these significant changes to help its new generation of rockets reach the moon, so next month’s test launch will be even more demanding than ever. According to NASASpaceflight, Ship 33 completed its initial supercooling test phase in late October.
However, whether the prototype can survive the upcoming flight test without damage remains to be seen. In its previous two launches, SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft crashed into the ocean after enduring extreme temperatures that melted the metal during re-entry.
SpaceX conducted an in-situ burn test of its Super Heavy booster on December 9. This is an important step to test its thrust capacity without having to launch the rocket. (Photo: SpaceX)
For SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the key goal is achieving the ability to launch again immediately after landing, which is seen as a true test of the hugely ambitious heavy-lift rocket platform that NASA still hopes to use for the first mission to return humans to the Moon since the 1970s.
“ The biggest remaining technological challenge for Starship is to create a heat shield that is fully and immediately reusable. The ability to land, refuel, and launch again immediately without laborious repairs or inspections is the ultimate test ,” Musk wrote on Twitter last month.
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