SpaceX's 80m Starship's Booster V4 Upgrades Finally HERE…What's Unbelievable?

This is Superheavy block 2. Not the final version, but one of the first steps toward launching Starship to Mars. It's still experimental, but its thrust already about twice that of Saturn 5, the legendary rocket that sent humans to the moon. Sounds insane, right? But SpaceX plans to roll out something even bigger. The nextG Superheavy Block 4. They're promising huge leaps, not just in power, but also in tech and reliability. All thanks to bold upgrades we've never seen before. So, what's coming in the booster nextG version and how different will it be from block 2? Let's break it down in today's episode of Alpha Tech. Elon Musk has always stood out for the way he thinks, especially when it comes to designing Starship. While most companies focus on perfecting a design before moving forward, Musk does the opposite. He believes in moving fast, testing early, and improving along the way. as he told Tim Dodd from Everyday Astronaut 5 years ago, if a design is taking too long, the design is wrong and therefore the design must be modified um to accelerate progress. That's exactly why in his last live stream, Musk quickly introduced two brand new versions of Starship. The first one is what he calls the nextG Starship. Basically, the successor to Block 2, which we'll call Block 3 for now. This version stands at an impressive 124.4 4 m when fully stacked. And then there's an even taller variant, a so-called future Starship or Block 4, stretching up to 142 m tall. According to Musk, this bigger beast could debut as early as next year. That's the full two-stage vehicle we'll eventually see. But in today's episode, we're just focusing on one part of that stack, the booster, Super Heavy Block 4. So, what makes this version stand out from the current Super Heavy booster? Let's take a look. One of the most striking and immediate upgrades to Super Heavy Block 4 is visual. It's noticeably taller. According to Elon Musk, the new booster design will grow from the current 71 m to a towering 81 m. This added height mainly comes from elongated propellant tanks, allowing for far greater fuel capacity. Why? to support even more ambitious goals like delivering over 200 tons to low Earth orbit or hauling construction supplies for a future moon base alpha. In block 2, the booster holds about 3,400 tons of propellant, 2,700 tons of liquid oxygen and 700 tons of methane. With the 10-meter tank stretch, which increases internal volume by roughly 22%, Super Heavy Block 4 can now carry around 4,148 tons of fuel. This isn't just a size upgrade. It's a critical leap toward expanding flight range, payload capacity, and overall rocket efficiency. Why is this so important? Because by the time stage separation happens, about 90 km above Earth, there's barely any fuel left, often just 10 to 15%. That's a serious challenge, especially since Superheavy needs enough leftover propellant to perform a powered return and landing. But here's the thing. SpaceX wants to reuse both the booster and the Starship itself to bring launch costs down to just 2 to 3 million per flight. Their goal is to slash the cost per kilogram to orbit to an insanely low $15 per kilogram. A huge leap from the $25,000 per kg it cost during the Apollo era. That's why going bigger makes sense. A larger vehicle means more fuel, more payload, and ultimately a cheaper cost per kilogram. It also allows for safer landings, which helps shorten turnaround time between flights. Right now, the first block 3 booster prototype designated B18 is still under assembly. The main sections have already been delivered and stacking operations are steadily moving forward. Once completed, B18 will become the first fully integrated Superheavy Block 3, bringing together all the latest advancements into a single vehicle. It also sets the stage for the first Block 4 booster coming next year. After all, Block 3 and Block 4 share the same design. It's just the size that differs. Next up, one of the biggest changes tied directly to the increased fuel capacity of Starship Block 4 is the engine that powers it, Raptor 3, the most powerful rocket engine in the world. According to Elon Musk, the next generation booster will still use the same number of engines, 33 Raptors. But now each Raptor 3 engine based on official SpaceX data can generate a staggering 280 tons of thrust at sea level. That's a total of 9,240 tons of liftoff thrust. Absolutely insane. And that's just the beginning. SpaceX has already hinted at possible future upgrades that could increase both the thrust per engine and the number of engines on the booster, pushing the limits even further. To give you some perspective, NASA's legendary space shuttle used to carry parts of the ISS into orbit ran on just five engines with a combined thrust of about 3,118 tons. That means Superheavy Block 4 is nearly 3 times more powerful. Mindblowing. Now, while Raptor 3 does burn more fuel, around 800 1.5, 1 kg/s compared to 663.88 88 kg/s of the Raptor 2. That's expected due to the 21.7% increase in thrust. But here's the kicker. It's actually about 1% more efficient in terms of fuel used per kilon of thrust. On top of that, Raptor 3 is lighter than its predecessor and cuts down auxiliary mass by 87% which means more room for useful payload or less fuel required to reach orbit. This incredible force is what gives Super Heavy its crown as the most powerful flying object ever built by humans. But it's not just raw muscle. Raptor 3 introduces a new level of design simplification. Unlike earlier versions, it ditches many of the fragile, overly complex components found in Raptor 1 and 2. That makes it more reliable, easier to maintain, and less prone to failure under stress. In fact, the version 3 and 4 booster no longer needs engine shrouds for protection. Something that speaks volumes about SpaceX's growing confidence in Raptor 3's durability. While Raptor 3 is still undergoing active testing, its full integration into the nextG Starship is right around the corner. And soon, very soon, we'll be seeing these engines roar to life and tear through the sky. Now, let's move on. Another major upgrade SpaceX has never done before. Starship Block 4 will feature a giant transfer tube designed to help the Raptor 3 engines run more smoothly. This is a pretty big development, just revealed two weeks ago. SpaceX introduced this component as nearly the size of a Falcon 9 booster stage. It's built to channel subcooled methane from the main tank down to the 33 Raptor engines on the Superheavy booster. And SpaceX officially confirmed its purpose. It's not just structural. This transfer tube is a key enabler of the performance boost seen in block 3 and block 4. According to the company, this new tube will allow faster, more reliable flip maneuvers and simultaneous engine starts. That flip has been a major area of testing. In past flights, especially flight 9, SpaceX showed a more controlled flip using engine thrust instead of relying on passive freefall flipping like before. That marked a big step toward more precision and efficiency. But perfecting this maneuver further may require changes to the internal hardware, not just tweaks to the hot staging ring. And that's where the upgraded transfer tube comes in. It could enable the booster to flip faster, use less fuel, and steer more predictably during descent. Just as important as how this upgrade affects engine starts, being able to ignite all engines at once leads to a more stable launch, more reliable boost back burns, and safer landings. In the event of an engine failure, the system becomes essential for quickly restoring or redistributing thrust to stay in control and protect the vehicle. In short, this new transfer system is a major leap in both reliability and performance, working alongside the larger tanks to prepare Starship for more demanding missions in the near future. All right, looks like we've already listed three major upgrades. Now, it's time for the fourth one. It might not be as big as the others, but it's still pretty important. The hot staging ring, first introduced during flight 2, this component was added to simplify stage separation while minimizing damage to both the ship's engines and the booster's dome. And so far, it's done a decent job. But that doesn't mean it's perfect. One of the biggest issues is added mass. Since the hot staging ring increases the vehicle's overall weight, SpaceX has been forced to discard it after use. That complicates things, especially considering there was even a time they had to hire a ship just to recover this massive ring from the bottom of the ocean. Not exactly ideal. On top of that, the current venting system has been seen as inadequate. Its small size can create unwanted back pressure on the engines during ignition. So, SpaceX decided to redesign this part in a way no one expected. Instead of being a separate detachable ring, the new design is fully integrated into the booster itself that reduces weight and allows full recovery and reuse while also simplifying the assembly and refurbishment process by removing the entire installation step. Structurally, it's been optimized for mass, meaning it won't hurt the booster's performance. It now provides much more room for exhaust gases to escape, helping to manage heat and pressure better and reducing damage to both stages. The new hot staging ring is also longer, offering better protection to upper booster components like the grid fins. In fact, we'll now even be able to see the Raptor 3 engines clearly through this redesigned ring. This system represents a big leap forward in terms of efficiency, reliability, and manufacturability. And the best part, we've already spotted it on booster B18 inside the Star Factory, and we'll likely see it in action soon, possibly during flight 12, expected sometime in September or early October. Okay, last but not least, the fifth major upgrade in Starship's evolution focuses on the grid fins. Grid fins, those iconic waffle-like metal structures, play a key role in guiding the Superheavy booster during descent. In early 2025 Starship meetings, SpaceX highlighted some major changes, marking a big shift in both design and function. The first and most obvious change is their position. Compared to the current Block 2 design, the grid fins on the NextG booster have been moved lower, about 80 cm, now sitting closer to the methane tank. This repositioning isn't random. It puts the fins in a more stable air flow during the subsonic phase of landing. But that's not all. SpaceX is also cutting the number of fins from four to just three. They'll now be arranged in a 9091 80° layout instead of being evenly spaced. At first, this raised concerns about aerodynamic balance. But studies suggest that this asymmetrical setup may actually improve control by breaking symmetry and adding a slight mass imbalance. Three fins are still enough for flip maneuvers and controlled braking during descent. And fewer fins means less mass. Not a small thing for a booster weighing hundreds of tons. Over time, when SpaceX is cranking out hundreds of boosters per year, saving one fin per vehicle could mean big gains in production speed and simplicity. In short, these new grid fins aren't just an upgrade. They're a strategic redesign to boost control, efficiency, and reusability across the entire mission. Those were the five major upgrades coming to the NextG Super Heavy. So, are you excited to see how they'll actually perform? If yes, drop a number one in the comments below. Thanks for watching and see you soon. The end of this year marks a golden time for SpaceX. We're about to witness a massive leap, not just in infrastructure, with launchpad 2 nearing completion at Starbase, a brand new pad rising at LC39A in Florida, and two massive Starship Gigabays, but also in the transition to the upgraded Starship Block 3. And with this new version, our focus now turns to its booster, Superheavy Block 3, which is part of a bold new plan, developing a backup landing method. Instead of relying entirely on Mechazilla, SpaceX is working on making it land safely on a drone ship. Even though SpaceX hasn't said much about this publicly, Starship's 9th test flight gives us some big clues. On May 27th, 2025, booster 14 was assigned a risky mission to land in the Gulf at a steep angle of attack. This wasn't just about proving reusability. It was a carefully designed experiment to see how Super Heavy performs under more extreme aerodynamic conditions. By tilting the booster at a sharper angle, SpaceX was testing how air resistance could help slow it down, saving precious fuel for a future landing on a drone ship. So, why does this matter? When the booster reaches about 1,000 m above the drone ship, it's still falling fast, roughly 100 m/s or 360 km hour. At that point, SpaceX reignites three Raptor engines, then quickly drops to two to perform the final landing burn. Each engine consumes between 300 and 500 L of methylox per second, meaning they burn through around 9,000 to 15,000 L in just 10 to 15 seconds. The thrust must be finely controlled anywhere from 50 to 100% of each engine's maximum 2,250 kontons to reduce the booster speed to near zero right as it touches down. And it has to do all this while aiming for a tiny 50 by50 meter drone ship floating in the ocean. That's why the high angle of attack during re-entry is so important. It helps slow the booster down using aerodynamic drag while also keeping it stable, saving precious fuel for landing. Of course, SpaceX only attempts this when the ocean is calm. If the sea is rough, they'll fall back on Mechazilla. But on Flight 9, SpaceX pushed the envelope even further. Not only did they use the high angle re-entry profile, they also deliberately disabled one of the three center engines during the landing burn, fired up an outer ring engine instead, and then switched back to just two center Raptors. It was a planned simulation of an engine out scenario, a test to see if Superheavy could survive unexpected failures during a drone ship landing where every second in every engine counts. Unfortunately, it didn't go as planned. Just a few seconds into the landing burn, contact with the booster was lost. About 6 minutes after launch, it experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly, abruptly ending the first ever reflight of a Superheavy booster. As it turns out, that steep angle of attack, while useful for slowing down, may have also been its downfall. It disrupted the flow of propellant to the Raptor engines during the burn, starving them mid-flight. And with fuel cut off at the worst possible moment, the booster never had a chance to stick the landing. To address this issue, SpaceX quickly rolled out a new update for the Super Block 3. It not only fixed the propellant flow interruption, but also made drone ship landings more stable overall. And that update, it involved a major redesign of the internal structure of the Superheavy booster. One of the biggest changes was to the fuel tank architecture because they were adding something called the fuel transfer tube. You can actually see it during integration, a massive pipe being lifted and inserted straight into the booster. It spans nearly a third of the booster's diameter, almost 3 m across. SpaceX welded together multiple segments to create a tube about 20 to 25 m long. That's where the redesigned tube comes in. It draws fuel from the main tanks, regulates internal pressure, and sends it through smaller lines to each engine, keeping everything stable even under extreme conditions. Since it handles both LOX and methane, this tube's got to be insulated. Otherwise, heat sneaks in, and that's bad news for cryogenic propellants. So, yeah, it's not just some metal pipe shoved inside the booster. It's basically the fuel command center. A critical upgrade that makes landing a super heavy not just possible, but smoother, safer, and one step closer to becoming. Now, honestly, this is a landing method worth trying, and SpaceX knows it. Chances are they'll go for another high angle approach with booster 16 and Starship flight 10 just to gather more data and see if they can make it work. Because if they can pull it off, the benefits could be huge. Right now, if the booster can't land on a drone ship, it has to splash down in the ocean instead. That doesn't line up with SpaceX's goal of fast, efficient rocket reuse. They need to send a massive ship out just to bring it back. And worse, salt water gets everywhere, seeping into the hardware, corroding the internals, and turning everything into a maintenance nightmare. That's why SpaceX seems to be moving toward a much better option, landing on a drone ship. It's a method they've already perfected with Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, and for good reason. First off, it's safer. Landing at sea keeps the risk away from people and infrastructure. The ocean absorbs the heat, force, sound, and vibrations. Basically, all the messy stuff. In fact, SpaceX has already faced lawsuits over noise pollution, and environmental impact from rocket launches at their Starbase facility in Bokh Chica, Texas. Environmental groups like the Center for Biological Diversity and the American Bird Conservancy sued the FAA in May 2023, accusing them of failing to conduct a proper environmental review before approving Starship launches. The concern, serious harm to the habitats of protected wildlife like migratory birds, Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, and ocelots. That's also why 88% of Falcon 9 landings happen on drone ships. Second, drone ships are incredibly flexible. They can be positioned anywhere along Starship's flight path to optimize the trajectory, shorten the return distance, and save a ton of fuel. This mobility lets SpaceX adjust the landing location for each mission, support more complex orbits, boost launch frequency, and get the most bang for their buck. Third, the ocean gives SpaceX a vast playground. They can land Starship pretty much anywhere at sea, wherever the mission needs. That flexibility supports complex flight paths, avoids collision risks, optimizes the return trajectory, and ensures safety. All without being tied to fixed land-based infrastructure. But of course, it's not all smooth sailing. The biggest challenge, recovery time. See, even though drone ships can be stationed far out at sea, bringing them back with a starship on deck could take days. that naturally slows down the refurbishment cycle compared to a quick return to land. SpaceX knows this and they're already thinking ahead. One clever solution mentioned in FAA documents is something called horizontal delivery. Once Starship lands and is secured, a special mechanism would gently tip the vehicle from vertical to horizontal. That way, it's easier to transport, puts less stress on the structure, and protects it better from rough waves or high winds. Then there's the hardware challenge. You can't exactly bolt a Mechaz-illa tower onto a floating barge, at least not yet. So for sea-based missions, Starship may need to bring back some kind of deployable landing legs. Yeah, it complicates the design, but it could be a smart trade-off, especially for future moon or Mars landings where there's no fancy tower waiting to catch the ship. Landing legs are going to be essential anyway, especially in the early exploration phase when ground infrastructure is minimal. So, why not start testing that system now out at sea where conditions are tough and the data is invaluable? And finally, there's the platform itself. Falcon 9 lands on a barge. Starship needs a fortress. To handle something that big and that heavy, SpaceX will need a whole new kind of drone ship, probably around 100x 50 m. It'll need a reinforced landing pad, ultrarecise positioning, and a giant crane to secure and support both Super Heavy and Starship together weighing nearly 200 tons after landing. It's a massive challenge, but a necessary one because if SpaceX wants Starship to fly often, to land anywhere, and to come back safely, then mastering ocean landings is a big part of the puzzle. Actually, the idea of landing Starship on a drone ship isn't new. It's been around for nearly 5 years. Back in 2020, SpaceX bought two old oil rigs from a company called Valeris with plans to turn them into floating landing platforms for Starship. Elon Musk named them Phobos and Daimos after the two moons of Mars. No surprise there, he's obsessed with the red planet. Each rig measured around 78 m long and 73 m wide with four massive corner columns about 15 m tall and 14 m wide. They were being modified to support landings of the massive superheavy booster. The idea was to use these offshore rigs as floating landing pads, keeping high-risk landings away from populated areas while taking advantage of the wide open ocean. The retrofitting work involved strengthening the platform, adding precision navigation systems, and even installing water cooled sound suppression just like groundbased launchpads. But the plan was scrapped around 2022. The rigs were never fully converted and the project was eventually dropped. Instead, SpaceX pivoted to the Meazilla system, that giant launch tower with robotic arms designed to catch Superheavy right on the launch mount. It turned out to be cheaper, simpler, and way more efficient for rapid reusability. At the FAA commercial space transportation conference on February 8th, 2023, SpaceX COO Gwyn Shotwell confirmed the rigs were sold, saying they just weren't the right platform. And maybe now is the right time to revisit that idea. 2025 is already a packed year for SpaceX, but if everything goes well, maybe next year we'll finally witness Starship landing on a drone ship for the first time. Something to truly look forward to.