There's been significant changes since the last post.
SpaceX has finally received
FAA Final Environmental Assessment approval for launching rom its Boca Chica facility but with limitations. However it is still to receive the FAA Vehicle Operator License.
Boosters 4 & 5 along with Ship 20 have been set aside and no longer being used. Booster 5 and Ship 20 are in the Rocket Garden and Booster 4 is still in the launch area. The reason is that the Raptor I engines have been superseded by the Raptor II engines which offer significantly more power per engine. These have been installed in Booster 7 and Ship 24. Booster 7 is sitting on Orbital Launch Pad 1 at the moment undergoing testing and an engine test burn is due any day. Work has started on Orbital Launch Pad Two at Boca Chico as well. The wide high bay is just about finished, a new assembly building is underway and another building is being built. The yellow Liebherr LB11,000 crane has been dismantled and removed from site by the outside crane contractor, its work completed. It took them only a matter of a few days to dismantle it into truckable components and ship it out. SpaceX still have their LB11,000 crane. Of note SpaceX also used the Chopsticks to lift Booster 7 onto the launchpad from it's transporter. This is the first time that the Chopsticks have been used for that particular lift. They have lifted Booster 4 off the pad onto the transporter.
Work has also been ongoing at pace at SpaceX's Florida Kennedy Space Centre facility. The current plan is to use Boca Chico for R&D and Florida for the commercial launches. This is the latest report on activities at Kennedy Space Centre.
spacenews.com
