SpaceX Ready to Rollout Starship Flight 12 Rocket for Testing after Completing Important Steps…

SpaceX has taken clear steps that signal preparations for testing the hardware assigned to Flight 12. The question now is straightforward. When will it launch? Next, Blue Origin has rolled out its Blue Moon Mark 1 lunar lander, marking another visible milestone in the program. This development naturally raises another question. Is the next New Glenn launch also approaching? Meanwhile, China has announced plans to launch the fourth module of its Tiangong space station, continuing the steady expansion of its orbital outpost. Let's explore all these developments in today's episode of Great SpaceX. We are now approaching the end of January, a time frame that many observers had circled as a likely window for the launch of Starship Flight 12. However, despite those expectations, the vehicle assigned to this mission has yet to enter its testing campaign. As a result, the realistic launch outlook is now shifting into February. If the timeline does move into February, SpaceX will need to increase the pace of activity in the near term. Based on recent developments, the groundwork appears to be in place for that acceleration to begin. The first clear signals emerged on the evening of January 13th when the ship's static fire test stand departed the Massey test site. This is the same section of infrastructure that sustained damage following the S-36 incident last year. Since then, repairs appear to have been completed and the stand is now expected to return to active service. More notably, visual evidence suggests that upgrades associated with the Starship V3 design may have been incorporated into the stand during its refurbishment. Despite this movement, the ship's test stand did not proceed directly to Megabay 2. This is likely due to two factors. First, the schedule for runway and transport route closures has not yet been finalized. Second, S-39 still has several remaining tasks that must be completed before rollout. Consequently, the stand is currently staged at the Sanchez site. Additional signs of activity around Megabay 2 also appeared on January 13th. Around midday, a ship lifting jig was moved into the bay. While subtle, this type of movement is often an early indicator that a vehicle is approaching a transition to the next phase of preparation. Attention soon turned to the booster side of the stack. On the morning of January 19th, the booster cryogenic test stand was observed being moved as well. Close-up footage captured during the move highlighted just how substantial the structure is, appearing significantly larger than the corresponding ship test stand. This difference is expected, as the Super Heavy Booster supports a far greater number of engines and requires a more complex support system during cryogenic testing. It's important to note that this stand is designed specifically for cryogenic testing rather than static firing. Because it does not need to withstand engine thrust, SpaceX is able to incorporate finer structural details and instrumentation. As with the ship stand, there are strong indications that this booster cryo stand has also been updated to accommodate V-3 hardware requirements. Like the ship stand, the booster cryogenic stand was relocated to Massey, where it will remain until the necessary transport closures are scheduled and V-19 completes its remaining preparation steps. Although neither vehicle has rolled out immediately following these moves, the relocation of both major test stands sends a clear signal. Preparations are transitioning from a static phase into one that anticipates significant vehicle movement. Based on the current pace, it's reasonable to expect rollouts toward the end of the month, with testing activities beginning in early February. This naturally raises a question for observers. Which vehicle will roll out first, V-19 or S-39? To form a grounded prediction, it's necessary to examine the current state of each vehicle. Recent updates indicate that S-39 is now entering a critical installation phase. On the morning of January 19th and again on the afternoon of January 20th, teams install the aft flaps on the vehicle. This development stands out because it departs from the process followed for recent version 2 ships. Under the V-2 workflow, ships typically underwent cryogenic testing before receiving their aft flaps and engines. Installing the aft flaps prior to cryogenic testing was more common during the V-1 era. The decision to return to this earlier sequence suggests a deliberate change in strategy. One likely reason for this shift is efficiency. With runway closures still pending, SpaceX may be using the available time to complete installations that would otherwise occur later. By installing the aft flaps now, the team can eliminate a future step and move directly into engine installation and static fire preparation once cryogenic testing is complete. There is also a technical advantage to this approach. Installing the aft flaps early allows them to be exposed to the full range of test conditions experienced by the vehicle. This includes the extremely low temperatures of cryogenic testing as well as the high temperatures, pressures, and vibrations associated with static fire operations. This is particularly relevant because the aft flaps remain a challenging component. Even on missions that are otherwise successful, issues involving the aft flaps have persisted, especially during atmospheric re-entry. The geometry and thermal exposure of these surfaces make them difficult to protect, and any weaknesses in shielding or materials can lead to localized overheating or fire damage. Testing them as part of the integrated vehicle could help identify vulnerabilities earlier in the process. Work on S-39 progressed steadily prior to the installation of the aft flaps, with particular focus on a comprehensive inspection of the heat shield system. The vehicle was surrounded by extensive scaffolding, allowing technicians full access to the thermal protection tiles. Once inspections and any required corrections were completed, the scaffolding was removed, signaling that this phase of work had concluded. During a visit by Department of Transportation officials, S-39 was observed positioned centrally inside Megabay 2, flanked by multiple workstands. This configuration typically indicates a vehicle approaching readiness for testing activities. By comparison, fewer recent updates have emerged regarding B-19. Images from the same visit showed the booster inside Megabay with ongoing work concentrated on its underside. Active workstations suggest continued alignment, plumbing, or inspection tasks remain in progress. Overall, these observations indicate that S-39 may be slightly further along in preparation, although final sequencing will depend on test stand availability, as well as closure schedules and internal priorities. The extended preparation period for both stages appears deliberate. SpaceX is clearly seeking to avoid a repeat of the issues encountered with B-18, recognizing that rushing hardware through testing can lead to preventable failures and longer delays. Maintaining confidence among partners, regulators, and the public is also a key consideration. Activity at the Massey test site remains high. Three test tanks are currently undergoing testing, and construction continues on a previously undisclosed structure near the ship test stand. Completion of this work may be required before both Starship stages advance through their test campaigns. Given these factors, a slow but methodical approach appears to be guiding progress. This philosophy applies both to vehicle preparation and to the objectives of the upcoming flight, where careful validation of new hardware and procedures will deliver long-term benefits. Visible progress may occur in sudden bursts rather than a steady, daily pace, with rollouts or movements sometimes taking place on short notice. Attention now shifts to developments at Blue Origin. In a recent update, the company confirmed that its Blue Moon Mark 1 lunar lander has departed the production facility and is en route to a port ahead of shipment to Houston for the next phase of testing. This move follows the completion of a major milestone, previously highlighted by images released during a visit from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, which showed the lander undergoing acoustic testing. Subsequently, Blue Origin Chief Executive Officer Dave Limp provided additional details, confirming that the lander had successfully completed direct field acoustic testing. He described this achievement as a major flight qualification milestone for the program. According to Limp, the test involved surrounding the fully integrated lander with a ring of speaker towers, each standing 34 feet tall. These towers generated a near-diffuse acoustic field designed to replicate the environment inside the new payload fairing during ascent. The overall sound pressure level exceeded 138 decibels. The lander was tested in a flight-like configuration, with its tanks pressurized using helium and nitrogen. The onboard batteries powered the vehicle, and all critical avionics and guidance systems were active throughout the test. A total of 43 triaxial accelerometers measured the vehicle's response during a two-minute exposure at proto-qualification levels, because the vibration environment for the lander is driven primarily by acoustic loads rather than mechanical excitation. This test replaces traditional shaker-based vibration testing and more accurately reflects real ascent conditions. Following the successful completion of this testing, Blue Moon Mark 1 was transported to Houston. There, it will undergo thermal vacuum testing at NASA's Johnson Space Center. This phase will expose the lander to the extreme temperature and pressure conditions it will experience in space. During this update, Blue Origin has also revealed the official name of the Blue Moon Mark 1 lander. The vehicle has been named Endurance. The company explained that the name honors Ernest Shackleton's legendary ship, which survived extraordinary conditions during its Antarctic expedition. Blue Origin stated that the name reflects resilience under pressure and aligns with the spirit guiding their mission to the lunar south pole. With the lander now entering advanced testing, its launch timeline appears to be drawing closer. If thermal vacuum testing proceeds smoothly, Endurance is expected to be shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for final launch preparations. The lander is slated to launch aboard New Glenn and this mission is expected to be the third flight of that rocket. While the official schedule continues to list the launch as occurring early in the year, the lander's progress suggests that a March time frame is plausible, assuming no major issues arise during testing. Ultimately, the exact date will depend on the outcome of the remaining qualification tests, as well as New Glenn's readiness. For now, the trajectory appears positive. Finally, attention turns to China's plans for the next expansion of its Tiangong Space Station. China began assembling the Tiangong Space Station in 2021 and currently operates three modules, with the long-term plans to expand to six. The next step in that expansion is Xuntian, a large space telescope that will serve as the station's fourth module. Recent reports indicate that scientists have completed full observational simulations for Xuntian, suggesting launch preparations are nearing their final stages. These end-to-end simulations replicate real observing conditions and confirm system performance. Xuntian, also known as the Chinese Space Station Telescope or CSST for short, features a 2-meter primary mirror and is designed for wide-field sky surveys. Although slightly smaller than Hubble, it is optimized for survey efficiency, using a 2.5 billion pixel camera and offering a field of view roughly 300 times larger. Xuntian will observe from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths and support research in cosmology, galaxy formation, the Milky Way, stars, exoplanets, and the nature of dark matter and dark energy. After launching aboard a long March 5B rocket, Xuntian will operate independently in low-Earth orbit before co-orbiting and periodically docking with Tiangong. This design allows astronauts to service and upgrade the telescope similar to the Hubble servicing missions. With Xuntian, Tiangong will gain a major scientific upgrade within the year, strengthening its position as the ISS faces growing constraints from aging hardware. As delays continue to affect commercial station efforts, international competition in low-Earth orbit is intensifying, making the coming years decisive for the future of human activity in space. In any case, folks, this has been Kevin with GreatSpaceX. Don't forget to like the video and subscribe if you haven't already to stay up to date with yours truly on the latest milestones in SpaceX's journey. Thank you so much for watching and always remember, curiosity, imagination, and inspiration will follow you so long as you keep looking up.