Space obsession, queen confessions.
Three days after Booster 22 lit all 33 engines, its partner Ship 42 fired a single Raptor on Monday night and then all six on Tuesday afternoon. Both halves of Starship Flight 15 have now passed their static fires. Here’s what the tests checked and what’s still left before launch (the Nov. 8 date is still unofficial).
On May 28, 2026, a New Glenn exploded during a static fire and damaged Blue Origin’s only orbital launch pad. Here’s what’s known about the cause, the rebuild at Launch Complex 36, and why the return-to-flight date is still disputed.
One June drive-by session (June 25, three photos) and the black wall on the north side of the Gigabay now reaches nearly to the top, by eye, with only a thin band of open steel above it. I also got the south side, where the large bay doors will be: two very tall openings framed in steel in a big plain dark wall. I compare my photos to May 20 and to April, say what I’m not sure about, and explain the new construction words.
Vulcan is waiting (and the Space Force is shifting missions to SpaceX), New Glenn is rebuilding toward a tentative Dec. 28 return, Neutron slipped, and China, India, Japan, Korea and Europe are all flying. Here is who’s launching what, and when.
A little saucer-shaped SpaceX capsule rode up on the Bandwagon-5 rideshare, came back through the atmosphere, and the Air Force fished its test cargo pods out of the Pacific. Here’s what “Rocket Cargo” is, what was inside, and what it does (and doesn’t) mean yet.
Two May drive-bys (May 8 and 20) and the black wall on the north side of the Gigabay has grown from a bit under half of what I can see to about two-thirds, by eye. I compare my photos to April 11, point out the two garage-door-style openings at the base, look straight up at the steel, say what I’m not sure about, and explain the new construction words.
Starship finally made orbit on Flight 14, and Flight 15 may try something that has never been done: catching the booster *and* the ship at the same tower.
On Sunday, SpaceX fired all 33 Raptor engines on Booster 22, the Super Heavy picked for Starship Flight 15. Here’s what a static fire is, why this one matters, and what still has to happen before Flight 15, where SpaceX may try to catch both the booster and the ship (not yet confirmed).
Starbase, the day before Starship Flight 9 and the day after: a pad-side look at the stack, a hand-painted Boca Chica sign, the funniest welcome plaque ever, plus what Flight 9 really did and why it still gives me chills.
Two March drive-bys, 8 days apart, and the biggest change since I started watching: the Gigabay’s steel frame now has a black wall at the base, with two big openings. I compare my March 14 and 22 photos to February 7, count the cranes (including a big big orange crane), say what I’m not sure about, and explain the new construction words.