Gigabay Progress Report: August 2026 – Wall All the Way to the Top

Posted on by The Star Queen

Hello, stargazers! 🚀 Welcome to my Gigabay Progress Report for August. I have two drive-by sessions at the SpaceX Gigabay at Kennedy Space Center this time: August 9 (two photos shown, about a minute apart, in the afternoon by my phone’s clock) and August 30 (three photos shown, all within about 20 seconds, early in the morning by my phone’s clock). I think these are a bit better than my July efforts, ha! 😄 My last report covered July 2 and July 9, so August 9 is 31 days later than July 9, and August 30 is 52 days later. What stands out? The black wall now seems to run all the way to the top. In June and July I could see a thin band of open white steel above it, and in my August photos I can’t find that open steel any more. I also spot a few new details near the top, and the ground around the building is busy. 🖤🏗️

Header photo: August 9 – the south side, from the road (1:56 PM). This is the photo at the top of the post. I think this is the south side, where the huge bay doors will be: it has the same two very tall steel-framed openings as my earlier south-side photos. Look for: a wide strip of churned-up dark dirt in front of the building, with a low black fence along it that looks like the silt fence I wrote about in March; the huge black wall, plain and unbroken all the way to the top, with no open white steel above it that I can see; the two very tall openings, with steel and platforms inside and no door panels that I can see; a tall yellow-orange crane at the left, leaning in front of the left opening; the lighter edge along the right side of the building, which I think is the side that faces the road, with a thin silvery strip near its top; a small window-like opening at the top corner, with white diagonal steel showing inside; and a big cloudy blue sky, with palm trees and a bit of water at the right. 🌴

A reminder: I take these as I drive by, so my angles change from photo to photo. I’m always grateful for the chances I get. I’ll show you what I can actually see, say “appears” when I’m not sure, and add the proper construction words so we can all learn together. 🌟

How I take these

The road I drive runs north and south, and the Gigabay sits on its west side. That means it’s on my left when I drive north and on my right when I drive south, and I’m always looking west at it. Some shots go through the windshield and some out the side window, so my sets never line up perfectly. I’ll use “left end” and “right end” of the building as I see it in each photo. This month: two photos are from the afternoon of August 9, at about 1:55 and 1:56 PM by my phone’s clock, under a sunny sky with big puffy clouds, and three photos are from August 30, all at about 7:47 AM by my phone’s clock (I can’t remember the exact time myself, so I’m going by the timestamp), and in the photos the sun looks low and the light looks golden. The 1:56 PM photo on August 9 is the south side, where the huge bay doors will be and where the ship will enter, and the 1:55 PM photo and all three August 30 photos look like the north side, the side with the two garage-door-style openings. I figured out which side is which by comparing with my June and July photos: the south side has very tall steel-framed openings, and the north side has two small openings at the base and a lighter gray wall at the left end.

Where we left off in July

In my July report the big news was that the black wall had climbed right up to the thin band of open steel along the top. (My June, May, April, March, February and January reports show how it got there.) My last photos were from July 2 and July 9, so those are the days I’m comparing against:

  • Wall. A huge black wall on both sides that ran right up under the steel at the top, with no gap I could find.
  • Openings. On the north side, two garage-door-style openings at the base, with steel visible inside and no door panels that I could see. On the south side, two very tall openings framed in steel, still open, in a big plain dark wall.
  • Steel above. A thin band of open white steel with diagonal braces along the top, what looked like work lights and a small lift platform inside it, and a railing along the top edge.
  • Cranes. A handful of cranes: a tall orange one and two red ones on the north side in my July 2 photo, and a few orange ones around the building on July 9. (I describe cranes only by color.)
  • Ground. A busy south end with portable toilets, trailers, orange cones, white plastic barriers and a yellow machine, and on the north side parked vehicles, trailers, shrubs and a low black fence along the grass.
Gigabay KSC – side-by-side of the north side, July 9, 2026 and August 9, 2026; in July a flat black wall runs up to a band of open white steel with criss-cross braces along the top, and in August the black wall runs all the way to the top with only a long thin slit near the top edge; yellow boxes mark the black wall and blue boxes mark the top of the building
The north side, 31 days apart. July 9 (left) vs. August 9 (right). The August photo was taken from farther away and at a different angle, so please don’t measure heights too closely. In the yellow boxes: the black wall on both days. In the blue boxes: the top of the building. In July it’s open white steel with criss-cross braces and a railing. In August I see only plain black wall with a long thin slit, and no open steel above it. Look for: the lighter gray end wall at the left on both days, and the small window-like opening near the top of that end wall in August.
Gigabay KSC – side-by-side of the south side, July 2, 2026 and August 9, 2026; in July a band of open white steel with criss-cross braces sits above the dark wall and its two tall steel-framed openings, and in August the black wall runs all the way to the top with a small window-like opening at the top right corner and the two tall openings still open; yellow boxes mark the wall with the two tall openings and blue boxes mark the top of the building
The south side, 38 days apart. July 2 (left) vs. August 9 (right). The angles are quite different, and the July photo was taken closer, so this is a rough comparison. In the yellow boxes: the wall with the two very tall openings, which are still open in August, with steel inside and no door panels that I can see. In the blue boxes: the top of the building. In July I can see open white steel above the wall, and in August I can’t. Look for: the small window-like opening at the top right corner in August.

For an outside check: NASASpaceflight (NSF) reported on July 3 that, as of July, the structural steel was finished and the cladding and roof were nearly completed. That fits what I see: in my July photos there was still a thin band of open steel above the wall, and by August I can’t find it. I can’t see the roof from the road, so I’ll say “appears” and not claim more. SpaceX says the finished building will stand 380 feet tall.

August 9 snapshot

Two photos from the afternoon of August 9 (about 1:55 and 1:56 PM by my phone’s clock). The south-side photo is my header photo above, and here is the north side.

Gigabay KSC – August 9, 2026 – north side – view through the windshield from the road across a green lawn of a huge flat black building with a long thin slit near the top edge showing white diagonal steel inside, a lighter gray end wall at the left with a small window-like opening at its top, two orange cranes with long angled arms in front of and beside it, white trailers and a black silt fence along the base, and a blue sky with big white clouds
August 9 – the north side, from the road (1:55 PM). This is the north side. Look for: the huge black wall, plain and unbroken from the base all the way to the top, with no open white steel above it; a long, thin horizontal slit near the top, where I can see white diagonal steel inside; the lighter gray end wall at the left, with a small window-like opening near its top; two orange cranes, one with a long arm leaning across the middle of the wall and another at the right; the two garage-door-style openings at the base, which look like dark gaps with steel inside and no door panels that I can see; a row of white and tan trailers, a white pickup, a few small vehicles and white plastic barriers along the base; a low black fence along the grass, which looks like the silt fence from March; and the road at the lower left.

August 30 snapshot

Three photos from the morning of August 30, all stamped about 7:47 AM by my phone’s clock, which is what I’m going by. I think all three are the north side.

Gigabay KSC – August 30, 2026 – north side – view from the road across a grassy field and a long puddle of a huge flat black building in early morning light, with a long thin slit near the top edge, a lighter gray end wall at the left with a small window-like opening at its top, two openings at the base, a row of parked vehicles and white and tan trailers along the base, and a tall pale crane arm at the right
August 30 – the north side, from the road (7:47 AM). This is the whole north side in the early light, with a grassy field and a long puddle in front. Look for: the huge black wall, again plain all the way to the top; the long thin slit near the top edge, which looks dark with a few bluish glints in this light; the lighter gray end wall at the left, with its small window-like opening at the top; the two garage-door-style openings at the base, with steel visible inside and no door panels that I can see; a long row of parked pickups, vans and SUVs in front of white and tan trailers; a low black fence along the grass; a few light poles; and the tall arm of a pale gray crane poking up at the right.
Gigabay KSC – August 30, 2026 – north side – close view from the road in early morning light of the lower part of a huge flat black wall with a long thin slit near the top, two openings at the base with steel inside, pickups parked in front of white and tan trailers, a tall light pole and a pale gray crane arm at the right, and green grass in front
August 30 – the north side, a closer look (7:47 AM). Look for: the long thin slit near the top of the wall; two garage-door-style openings at the base, the left one taller, with steel and stairs visible inside and no door panels that I can see; several pickups parked in front of white and tan trailers, with a dark gray trailer at the right; a tall light pole; and the tall arm of a pale gray crane at the right. I also see faint rectangles on the wall, which I think are panel joints, the seams between big wall panels. They show up in this low light.
Gigabay KSC – August 30, 2026 – the north side and lighter gray end wall seen at a steep angle in early morning light, a huge black wall with a small slit near the top, a long thin silvery strip and a small window-like opening near the top of the end wall, one opening at the base with steel inside, a long row of white plastic barriers in front, two portable toilets, and trailers; a black shape at the upper right hides part of my car
August 30 – the corner, at a steep angle (7:47 AM). A close view where the north wall meets the lighter end wall. Look for: the lighter gray end wall at the left, which I think is the side facing the road, seen at a steep angle (the low sun makes it look even lighter); a thin silvery strip running up along it and the small window-like opening near its top, with warm tan light inside; a small slit near the top of the north wall; one of the garage-door-style openings at the base, with steel visible inside and no door panels that I can see; a long row of white plastic jersey barriers along the road; two small portable toilets and a green container at the base of the end wall; trailers, pickups and yellow caution tape at the right; and some dirt and scrubby plants along the roadside. A black shape at the upper right hides part of my car for privacy.

What changed since July

  • The wall now covers the whole height. This is the biggest change. In June and July a thin band of open white steel sat above the black wall. In my August photos, on both the north and south sides, I can’t find it: the black wall runs all the way to the top edge. I can’t see the roof from the road, but this looks like the steel up there has been closed in. Builders call the outer skin of a building the building envelope, and if the roof and walls are closed up so rain can’t get in, they say the building is dried in. I can’t say whether the Gigabay is dried in. I can only say that the open steel is gone from view.
  • A long, thin slit near the top of the north wall. On August 9 I can see white diagonal steel and what look like lights inside it, and on August 30 it looks dark with a few bluish glints. It might be a row of wall panels that isn’t on yet, or a band of louvers (slatted vents), or something else. I can’t tell, so I’ll watch to see if it gets filled in. My understanding is that this area is going to get windows and become a penthouse-style viewing area like the ones at Starbase, but I don’t have any confirmation, so take that as a guess, not news. A thin silvery strip also runs up along the lighter end wall near the top, which might be trim, but I’m only guessing.
  • A small window-like opening at the top corner. Near the top of the lighter end wall, close to the south corner, there’s a small opening in the wall. It’s in my August 9 and August 30 photos, and I can see white diagonal steel inside. It might be a vent or a window, or an opening that’s still waiting to be closed in. I’m not sure. The same guess I gave for the slit applies here: I understand this area may get windows and become a penthouse-style viewing area like the ones at Starbase, but I have no confirmation, so please take it as a guess, not news. I can’t find it in my July photos, but my angles were different, so I can’t be certain it’s new.
  • The south side’s openings are still open. The two very tall openings framed in steel are still there, with steel and platforms visible inside and no door panels that I can see. I think these are the huge bay-door openings where the ship will enter, but that’s my guess from how they look.
  • The two north openings. The two garage-door-style openings at the base still look open, with steel visible inside and no door panels that I can see (August 9 and August 30 photos). I can’t see far inside, so I can’t say whether doors are in.
  • New ground work. On the south side, a wide strip of churned-up dirt now lies in front of the building, with a low black silt fence along it. That kind of dirt shaping is called grading. It looks as if the ground is being reshaped, but I can’t tell what it’s for. On the north side I see rows of parked pickups, vans and SUVs, trailers, a long line of white plastic jersey barriers by the road, a couple of portable toilets and some yellow caution tape. I can’t tell what’s new since July and what was already there.
  • Cranes. I describe cranes only by color. On August 9 I count a handful: two orange ones on the north side (one with a long arm leaning across the wall) and a tall yellow-orange one on the south side. On August 30 I see the arm of a pale gray one at the right. I can’t tell you what kinds they are or what they’re doing. They look much like the ones in July, but my angles keep changing, so I can’t say if any were added or taken away.

Terms to know ✨

  • Louver: a vent with slanted slats that lets air through while keeping most rain out. I wonder if the slit or the small opening near the top might be louvers, but I can’t tell.
  • Dried in: a building is “dried in” once its roof and outer walls are closed up enough to keep rain out. Then the work inside can go on whatever the weather. I only see that the open steel is gone from view, so I can’t say if it’s dried in.
  • Panel joint: the seam where two wall panels meet. On big panel walls the joints show up as faint lines or rectangles, especially in low light, like in my August 30 close-up.
  • Grading: shaping the ground so it has the slopes and heights the plans call for, usually with bulldozers and graders. The churned dirt in front of the south side looks like grading to me.
  • Jersey barrier: a long, heavy barrier used to separate traffic from a work area. They come in concrete and in white plastic ones you can fill with water. I see a long row of the white plastic kind along the road.

What impressed me most

The top. In June there was still a band of open steel above the wall, in July it was a thin band, and now I can’t see any open steel at all. That’s a couple of months of drive-bys, and a plain black wall that keeps climbing until it covers everything I can see. And with the two tall steel-framed openings on the south side still open, I can almost picture the ship rolling in. 🚀

What I’m watching next

  • The slit and the small opening near the top. I’ll watch whether the long thin slit and the little window-like opening get filled in, covered or changed.
  • The top edge of the building. I can’t see the roof from the road, but I’ll watch the top edge for anything new. Closing in the walls and the roof is what builders call the building envelope. SpaceX says the finished Gigabay will stand 380 feet tall.
  • The garage-door-style openings on the north side. I’ll keep looking for any change at them, such as door panels or door frames.
  • The south side’s large bay doors. These are where the ship will enter. I’ll keep checking the two tall openings for door panels or other changes.
  • The ground around it. I’ll watch what happens to the churned dirt on the south side, and whether the trailers, portable toilets and barriers are still there.
  • The cranes outside. I’ll keep noting how many I can see, and what color they are.

I’ll keep snapping photos every few weeks as I drive by. Look out for the next report!

Sources

  • SpaceX, “Future of Building Starship” (Mar 3, 2025): 380 ft building, 24 work cells. spacex.com/updates
  • NASASpaceflight, Jul 3, 2026 (as of July, structural steel finished, cladding and roof nearly completed): article
  • NASASpaceflight, Apr 23, 2026 (primary steel truss at maximum height, siding progress every day): article

All photos by The Star Queen, taken at Kennedy Space Center. Some areas of the photos are blacked out for privacy. Photos are not official and are not affiliated with SpaceX or NASA.

Thank you for stargazing with me. Until next time, keep looking up (and sideways, at the cranes). ✨

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