Flight 12 (Booster 19, Ship 39) pre-flight preparations

[meekGee]

It's a PR and nobody believes it completely

"Nobody" being a rather limited number of interested observers.  And, as you say, we ourselves are skeptical of such pronouncements.

I believe that any appeal to PR is whistling into the wind.  There just aren't that many people who care about Starship, not to mention SpaceX.  --Unless there's a big explosion or the owner again says or does something cringe-worthy.  Even so, those blow over quickly. 

Space flight is simply not important to almost everyone.

It was a proclamational "nobody"...  As in "almost none of the people currently participating in the debate", only shorter....

Maybe phrased better:

Of course the PR will lean optimistic, but based on history it's just the optimistic side of what they believe current scheduling is.  Not delusional, but also not accurate.

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/CSI_Starbase/status/1993895586052100280

Zack Golden
@CSI_Starbase

Booster 19 common dome preparing to be stacked onto the A2:4 section. It will be interesting to see if this booster is speed stacked.

Not speed stacked - meaning rushed - but less delays between each operation

https://twitter.com/TrackingTheSB/status/1993894647081652385

StarbaseTracking
@TrackingTheSB

Booster 19's CX:3 has rolled out of SFC.

[catdlr]

Booster 19 stacking begins as SpaceX pushes forward from B18 anomaly

written by Ryan Weber November 28, 2025

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/TrackingTheSB/status/1994563092240634118

StarbaseTracking
@TrackingTheSB

Booster 19's A3:4 has rolled into Megabay 1.

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/wvmattz/status/1995848126260019449

MattZ
@wvmattz

Earlier this morning, the Booster 19 Aft 5 section was rolled into MB1 for stacking. Crews are wasting NO time here as the push toward Starship Flight 12 continues!

[catdlr]

A6 and the bottom of the transfer tube rolled into MB1. What is covered with the red cover may be the landing tank, but that might be rolled out later today or tomorrow as a separate item on its mounting jig. Only the engine aft section remains on the Lox tank half.

Chart: Green indicates what's been stacked, and Red is the A6 section moved out early this morning.

https://discord.com/channels/732509550606942268/870736230227259452/1446082926604456008

[AndrewM]

These are a bit late and then with the shutdown the FCC page wasn't accessible but 3 filings for Flight 12 were made with requested period of operations from October 4, 2025 to April 4, 2026.

1798-EX-ST-2025 is pending as of September 16.

Please explain in the area below why an STA is necessary:
This STA uses information from previous grant 1124-EX-ST-2025. This STA is necessary to authorize Starship Test Flight 12 vehicle communications launching from Starbase TX. Application includes a sub-orbital first stage booster and a second stage. Trajectory data will be provided directly to NTIA, USAF, and NASA. Launch licensing authority is FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation.

Please explain the purpose of operation:    
Launch vehicle communications for Test Flight 12 mission launching from Starbase, TX. The first stage booster and the second stage will either return to the launch site or perform a water landing.

According to 2010-EX-ST-2025, this filing was withdrawn and replaced by 2010-EX-ST-2025 with a requested period of operation between January 23rd and June 28th. Below is the information from that STA. This filing is currently pending.

Explanation
Please explain in the area below why an STA is necessary:
This STA uses information from previous grant 1124-EX-ST-2025. This STA is necessary to authorize Starship Test Flight 12 vehicle communications launching from Starbase TX. Application includes a sub-orbital first stage booster and a second stage. Trajectory data will be provided directly to NTIA, USAF, and NASA. Launch licensing authority is FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation.

Purpose of Operation
Please explain the purpose of operation: Launch vehicle communications for Test Flight 12 mission launching from Starbase, TX. The first stage booster and the second stage will either return to the launch site or perform a water landing. The application 1798-EX-ST-2025 associated with this file, is withdrawn.

Update from SpaceX on Raptor 3:
https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1996326904706572398?s=20 [Dec. 3]

Validation testing on a Raptor 3 performing a Starship V3 ascent burn. Multiple versions of this test will cover the different conditions seen by Starship’s three inner engines during its initial climb to space

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/TrackingTheSB/status/1997364476782272650

StarbaseTracking
@TrackingTheSB
Booster 19's transfer tube has rolled out!

Areas in green were installed early this morning and are being delivered for installation.

After the transfer tub is installed, the following item to roll out is the LOX landing tank on its transportation jig, and then the final aft section

[catdlr]

LOX Landing tank getting ready for Rollout:


https://twitter.com/AshleyKillip/status/1998640016059416691

ChromeKiwi
@AshleyKillip

Booster 19 speed run continues with the raceway spotted moving into the mega bay, and now the LOX landing tank has been located, moving through the factory for fit out, and then soon out the door.

[catdlr]

And here is B19 LOX Landing Tank on its way to MB1

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1998771828446359561

Timelapse:
https://twitter.com/ENNEPS/status/1998811664825929780

Elisar Priel
@ENNEPS

Booster 19's liquid oxygen landing tank went for a ride around the production site, and has been staged outside of Megabay 1 ahead of installation.

[OTV Booster]

While we've been focusing on ships and boosters it looks like that 1000x harder machine that makes the machines has been maturing too.

[AndrewM]

Clips from ""Thats a fine looking Starship" | SpaceX Starbase" [Dec. 7]. The relevant section for Flight 12 is 6:08-7:49.

(tony has adjusted the video to start at 6:08)

6:08 Ship 39 in Mega Bay 2
6:53 Booster 19 Section Rolled Into MB1
7:05 Transfer Tube Section Rolled
7:16 Transfer Tube Rolled Into MB1

https://twitter.com/TrackingTheSB/status/1999293306514084337?s=20 [Dec. 11]

Today, Booster 19 has been visible towards the middle of Megabay 1!

The next barrel section for Booster 19 is its aft.

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https://twitter.com/TrackingTheSB/status/1999315953298149587?s=20 [Dec. 11]

Booster 19's liquid oxygen autogenous pressurization line looks to have been installed.

Track Starbase Here: https://figma.com/design/2AvC161FuB1VFNLUpAVAV2/Starship-Tracking---Starbase-Tx?node-id=0-1&t=GB2V3IGwrpoLiwkw-1
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[catdlr]

After the transfer Tube was delivered and placed into the booster, the last bottom section of the booster, the "aft section," is now rolled in for integration.  After the aft is integrated, the methane tanks will start rolling out.

In the diagram, the red area is the aft section, and the green area has been integrated.

https://twitter.com/lewisknaggs42/status/1999837684253298898

Lewis Knaggs
@lewisknaggs42
B19 aft section rolled to MB1

[OTV Booster]

After the transfer Tube was delivered and placed into the booster, the last bottom section of the booster, the "aft section," is now rolled in for integration.  After the aft is integrated, the methan tanks will start rolling out.

In the diagram, the red area is the aft section, and the green area has been integrated.

Lewis Knaggs
@lewisknaggs42
B19 aft section rolled to MB1

There's always a bunch of fiddly work on the interior that we don't get to see. In the past they have been doing more of this in each segment before stacking.


Knowing how SpaceX likes to work I'm gonna guess that one design goal of V3 is to maximize this so as to not tie up that expensive vertical bay space any more than necessary. If I got this right Musk may well have that booster out of the bay and testing the pad before the end of the month.

[crandles57]

There's always a bunch of fiddly work on the interior that we don't get to see. In the past they have been doing more of this in each segment before stacking.


Knowing how SpaceX likes to work I'm gonna guess that one design goal of V3 is to maximize this so as to not tie up that expensive vertical bay space any more than necessary. If I got this right Musk may well have that booster out of the bay and testing the pad before the end of the month.

After the aft section there are 3 more barrels, at continued fast pace of 3 days a piece, this takes us to ~22 Dec.

There was a couple? of weeks between last stacking and roll to Masseys.

It wasn't clear if booster might go from Masseys to launch pad for some launch pad testing.
More normally there would be ~4+ weeks of further build work including adding flaps and engines at the end of this build time before rolling to pad for static fire.

They are moving at a much fast rate and it looks like they will complete stacking this year at the rate they are going.

Rolling out to the pad seems rather ambitious.

Roll to Masseys for pressure and cryo tests might be just about possible but still difficult to achieve?

[catdlr]

Weekly Booster/Ship Production Stacking Status:

https://twitter.com/CyberguruG8073/status/1999994860519207375

Cyberguru
@CyberguruG8073
Starship Hardware Diagram (2025-12-04 - 2025-12-13)

Changes :

B19's Transfer Tube; Landing Tank, and AFT Section Rolled Into Megabay 1

S39 Raceway's Were Spotted Vertically in Megabay 2 for Installation

[Brigantine]

that booster out of the bay and testing the pad before the end of the month.

to Masseys

Maybe they can use a test tank on pad 2 for tank farm testing before the end of the month?

Maybe B19 goes straight from Masseys ambient/cryo testing to the pad, still without engines - depends what the long pole is.
After B18 and in light of ongoing COPV issues, I don't think they'll be doing ambient & cryo booster-validation tests at the pad

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/WatchersTank/status/2001284127442518254

TankWatchers
@WatchersTank
🚨BOOSTER 19 STACKING!
During the night the first CH4 tank section rolled out to the MegaBay, the very first piece of the methane tank for B19 after the LOX section was completed. Starbase is wasting no time!

Picture: Green is completed;  Red is being stacked.

[AndrewM]

"What in the UFO are they building??" | SpaceX Starbase [Dec. 13]

2:08 Booster 19 LOX Landing Tank
3:40 Ship 39 in Mega Bay 2

[catdlr]

https://x.com/TrackingTheSB/status/2001811659837354491

StarbaseTracking
@TrackingTheSB

2 of the 3 barrel sections for Booster 19's CH4 tank have been rolled out.

Tony -  Stacking chart updated.