SpaceX Boosts Starfactory to Aim for one Starship Daily Production

Starbase, located in Boca Chica, TX, is undergoing a major upgrade known as Starfactory, set to be operational by this summer with a hefty price tag of $100 million and ambitious objectives.

Construction began in February, adding an extra 100,000 square feet (9,290 sq m) of factory space dedicated to SpaceX’s mission of producing one Starship daily.

Kate Tice, Manager of SpaceX Quality Systems Engineering, Praises Starfactory’s Potential

Following a successful flight showcased in a SpaceX livestream, Kate Tice, manager of SpaceX Quality Systems Engineering, expressed excitement about the factory’s potential to significantly boost production rates, moving towards the ultimate goal of churning out one Starship per day, including the forthcoming Starship Version Two.

SpaceX plans to commence the construction of Starship Version 2 at the new Starfactory. This version is engineered to facilitate mass production, boasting enhancements such as increased propellant capacity, enhanced reliability, and reduced dry weight. Additionally, aerodynamic modifications are in the pipeline.

Jessie Anderson Details Progress on SpaceX’s Ship and Super Heavy Booster Production

However, Jessie Anderson, Manufacturing Engineering Manager for Falcon Structures at SpaceX, revealed that SpaceX has already constructed several Ships and Super Heavy Boosters, with more currently in production and ready for upcoming tests.

In fact, having visited Starbase on June 7th, 2024, I can attest to the bustling construction activity at SpaceX. Unfortunately, a temporary storage area for construction materials now obscures the iconic STARBASE signage at the front of the complex, leaving it to read “ASE.”

Here’s a time-lapse video captured from the YouTube Starbase Live stream in May, showing a helicopter named Starchopper navigating through a flurry of cranes in motion while delivering rooftop AC units to Starfactory.

Key Starbase details:

• Starbase boasts over 1,800 full-time employees, making it the largest local employer.
• Construction of Starbase began in 2018, replacing Boca Chica Village, which was founded in 1967 and destroyed by Hurricane Beulah the same year.
• Elon Musk famously remarked in 2018, “We’ve got a lot of land with nobody around, so if it blows up, it’s cool.” True to his words, in March 2021, a Starship prototype did explode, necessitating a three-month cleanup. Musk later tweeted, “At least the crater is in the right place.”

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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