Soon after SpaceX launched the 11th Starship test flight from Pad 1 at its Starbase site in southern Texas just over a month ago, engineers set to work dismantling the launchpad so that it can upgrade it with a more advanced design.
This week, news site NASASpaceflight shared footage of a SpaceX excavator getting on with the job, knocking down the first of four massive legs that were part of the pad’s Orbital Launch Mount (OLM), a heavy steel platform that supports and fuels the Starship at the launchpad. Look at the bottom center of the video and you’ll spot someone standing in the frame — a detail that adds striking scale to the scene.
The Pad 1 demolition process will also include the removal of the “chopstick” mechanical arms that secured some of the Starship’s first-stage Super Heavy boosters when they returned to Earth soon after launch, as well as the disposal of components such as piping, wiring, and valves.
The rebuilt Pad 1 will get a new flame trench and expanded deluge tank farm to match the more robust water suppression system currently being installed at the new Pad 2 site, which is also being constructed at Starbase. It’ll also have a more robust and taller launch tower base that better protects launch-related hardware, and newly designed, stronger chopsticks for securing the incoming booster.
The aim is to standardize operations across the two launchpads to improve launch cadence and compatibility with the next Starship designs, including version 3 vehicles.
Pad 1 has served SpaceX well for its testing of the Starship, the most powerful rocket ever to fly, although the inaugural launch in April 2023 didn’t quite go according to plan.
The record-breaking 17 million pounds of thrust generated by the Super Heavy booster on its inaugural flight utterly destroyed the launchpad, which was too weak to withstand the rocket’s colossal force. The outcome compelled SpaceX to design a new, much stronger Pad 1 for subsequent flights, though that has now served its purpose.
As mentioned above, the spaceflight company is also building a more advanced launchpad — Pad 2 — in another part of the Starbase site. This will be used for the 12th test flight featuring the first launch of Starship version 3, which sports various upgrades over its predecessor.
It’s not clear when the 12th flight will take place, though the general consensus is that SpaceX will likely launch the rocket in early 2026.
Once fully operational, NASA is expected to use the Starship for crew and cargo flights to the moon and possibly Mars, though SpaceX still has a lot of testing to do before it’s ready.
