China Did Something Never Done before Surprised Us All! SpaceX Takes Changes on B20 before Test...

SpaceX's Starship program just delivered another round of surprises. Booster 20 is heading into its crucial static fire campaign, but the biggest headlines actually came before and after the test. Meanwhile, SpaceX has just achieved the 36th flight and landing of a single Falcon 9 booster, extending a record no one else is even close to matching. At the same time, Starship and Falcon 9 could soon work together to build an astonishing 100,000-satellite Starlink constellation. And in another major development, China has successfully caught a rocket booster using a cable-based recovery system. So what does all this mean? Let's find out in today's episode of Great SpaceX. The long-awaited booster campaign has officially begun, and the second super-heavy booster built for Starship version 3 is already producing surprises. If this week's preparations are any indication, the road to Flight 13 could become one of the most exciting chapters in Starship history. So if you haven't subscribed yet, now is the perfect time. Our channel follows Starship's progress every day, bringing you the latest SpaceX and aerospace developments as they happen. And one important note, Great SpaceX is our one and only official channel. Several copycat channels have recently appeared using names, logos, and even email addresses similar to ours, so please make sure you're following the real one. Man, I can't believe I've made it this far that I'm actually having copycats. Wow. Anyways, thanks so much for your continued support. Now, let's jump into Booster 20. Interestingly, its rollout didn't happen exactly as originally planned. Instead of departing between 1 in the morning to 5 in the morning, the schedule shifted several hours later, with movement ultimately taking place between approximately 10am and 2pm on the same day. Although the transport stand arrived on schedule during the evening of July 8th, and the booster lift itself proceeded normally, Booster 20 remained stationary for quite some time outside Mecha Bay 1 before pausing again near the ring yard. As a result, the actual trip toward the launch pad didn't begin until nearly 1pm. Once it arrived at Pad A, Booster 20 rolled directly between the Mechazilla chopsticks. Around 5pm, the chopsticks lifted the massive booster onto the OLM, completing another major milestone ahead of Flight 13. During the lift, observers got an excellent view of the beautifully organized aft section, complete with all 33 Raptor engines installed. To commemorate the event, SpaceX shared dramatic photos and videos on X, writing, Super Heavy Booster moved to the Starbase pad for testing ahead of Flight 13. Because of the delayed rollout, SpaceX also adjusted the testing schedule. The planned static fire window from 1pm to 11pm on July 9th was cancelled. Instead, the primary testing window shifted to 7am through 7pm on the 10th, giving engineers additional time for final preparations. Naturally, everyone's attention now turns toward the upcoming static fire. But the delay also gave observers extra time to inspect Booster 20, and several fascinating discoveries quickly emerged. The first surprise involves the aft section. Unlike B19, which initially tested without all of its protective black panels installed during both its 10-engine and first 33-engine static fires, B20 already features the complete set of black protective panels before testing even begins. That may sound like a small detail, but it reflects something much bigger. It suggests SpaceX has now fully refined the installation process and intends to complete Booster 20's testing campaign as efficiently as possible, ideally requiring only a single successful static fire before moving directly toward launch. The second surprise concerns engine reuse. Remember B19? During its testing campaign, several Raptors developed issues. SpaceX ultimately removed these engines and replaced them before flight. Now, at least four of those previously removed engines, numbers 57, 73, 87, and 91, appear to have returned on B20. That can be interpreted in two very different ways. On one hand, it's an impressive demonstration of SpaceX's engineering capability. Rather than discarding expensive hardware, engineers successfully diagnosed, repaired, and restored the engines to flight-ready condition. On the other hand, those engines naturally become points of interest during testing. Since they previously exhibited issues, engineers will undoubtedly monitor their performance extremely closely throughout the static fire to ensure every system performs flawlessly. The third surprise came from sharp-eyed observer Ryan Hansen. Huge credit goes to Hansen and his team for continually identifying details many people overlook. If you enjoy Starship analysis, his ex-account is well worth the follow. Ryan noticed that the large white wiring bundle near the base of B20 connects directly into hardware mounted above it in a way that appears designed for quick removal while the booster remains on the launch pad. If that's correct, it suggests B20 may not need to return to the production site after static fire testing, assuming no major issues are discovered. Instead, engineers could perform final work directly at the launch complex before stacking S40 for Flight 13. That possibility fits perfectly with SpaceX's aggressive schedule. With the launch window opening on the 15th, eliminating an unnecessary trip back to the factory could save valuable time. It's remarkable how many interesting details have emerged from a booster that hasn't even fired its engines yet. Flight 13 is shaping up to be something special. Are you ready? If you are, let me know by typing here we go in the comment section down below. Go ahead, show how excited you are for this mission. Now, let's travel to the other side of the world where another rocket recovery milestone has just taken place. Many of you have probably heard about China's unusual concept for recovering rocket boosters. Instead of using giant robotic arms like SpaceX's Mechazilla, China developed a system that catches returning boosters using steel cables mounted on a floating offshore platform. It sounded ambitious. Now, it's real. The demonstration took place during the latest Long March 10B mission. The rocket lifted off from Wenchang on Hainan Island at 12.15am EDT or 12.15pm local time on the 10th. While the launch itself was successful, the biggest attention focused on the booster recovery. The offshore platform features a rigid steel support structure with multiple heavy-duty cables stretched between large support frames. During normal operation, the cables remain open, allowing the descending booster to enter the recovery zone. Once the booster reaches the correct position, actuators tighten the cables around the vehicle, gently securing it. According to post-flight images and updates shared on X, the system worked successfully. Photographs show the booster firmly suspended within the cable capture mechanism following landing. Initially, many observers questioned whether flexible cables could withstand the forces involved. Would the booster oscillate excessively? Would the cables absorb enough energy? China appears to have answered those questions successfully. The concept offers several interesting advantages. Compared with giant robotic arms, cable systems are mechanically simpler, easier to repair, and potentially less expensive to build. The cables also provide natural elasticity, helping absorb landing loads more gradually. And because the system isn't completely rigid, unexpected impacts could place less stress on both the booster and the recovery hardware. Whether this approach becomes widely adopted remains to be seen. For now, it's intended primarily for the Long March 10B, a reusable variant of China's future lunar launch system. The rocket stands 72 meters tall, measures 4.37 meters in diameter, features two stages, uses kerosene and liquid oxygen in its booster stage, methalox in its upper stage, generates approximately 1,078 tons of launch thrust, and can deliver 12 to 22 metric tons into low-Earth orbit. China's successful demonstration adds another fascinating approach to reusable launch systems. But SpaceX still holds the overall lead. And that brings us to Falcon 9. SpaceX has now completed the 36th flight and landing of a single Falcon 9 first-stage booster, extending yet another record. The mission lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 5.25 a.m. EDT on the 10th, carrying 29 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit. The booster, involved B1067, had already completed 35 orbital missions, making it the most frequently flown Falcon booster ever built. Following another flawless ascent, it returned roughly eight and a half minutes after liftoff, landing successfully aboard the drone ship, a shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. With this mission complete, Booster 1067 has now flown an incredible 36 times. That's only four flights away from SpaceX's publicly stated goal of achieving 40 launches and landings with a single Falcon booster. We're working towards qualifying our fleet of Falcon boosters and fairings to support 40 missions each. At the current pace, that milestone could very well arrive before the end of the year. The mission's upper stage also performed exactly as planned. It deployed all 29 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit approximately 63.5 minutes after launch. The flight also marked SpaceX's 80th Falcon 9 mission of 2026. Remarkably, roughly 80 percent of this year's Falcon launches have supported construction of the Starlink constellation. According to satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell, Starlink now consists of more than 10,700 active satellites, and that number continues to grow almost every week. But SpaceX's ambitions go much further. The company has now filed an application with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, seeking authorization to operate an astonishing 100,000 satellite Gen 3 Starlink constellation in low-Earth orbit. McDowell believes this represents the next major evolution of the Starlink network. The proposed Gen 3 satellites are dramatically larger than today's spacecraft. According to the FCC filing, each satellite would weigh between 4,400 and 5,500 pounds, or 2,000 to 2,500 kilograms, and deploy solar arrays spanning approximately 3,230 to 4,300 square feet, or 300 to 400 square meters. For comparison, today's Starlink V2 minisatellites weigh roughly 1,760 pounds, or 800 kilograms, and feature solar arrays covering around 1,250 square feet, or 116 square meters. Current Falcon 9 missions typically carry 29 V2 minisatellites at a time. Gen 3 satellites, however, are simply too large. That means they will almost certainly require Starship 4 deployment. In other words, Falcon 9 may continue expanding today's constellation while Starship eventually becomes the workhorse responsible for deploying the much larger Gen 3 generation. And even that isn't SpaceX's ultimate vision. The company has also discussed an even more ambitious project known as StarMind, a proposed one-million satellite AI mega-constellation. In a February 2026 update, Musk wrote, Launching a constellation of a million satellites that operate as orbital data centers is a first step towards becoming a Kardashev 2-level civilization, one that can harness the sun's full power, while supporting AI-driven applications for billions of people today and ensuring humanity's multi-planetary future. It's an extraordinary vision. At the same time, it raises equally significant questions. Companies including Amazon and Blue Origin are also developing large satellite constellations, while astronomers, environmental researchers, and many scientific organizations continue expressing concerns about orbital congestion, the impact on astronomical observations, atmospheric effects, wildlife, and the changing appearance of Earth's night sky. Whether SpaceX's 100,000 satellite Gen 3 constellation eventually becomes reality remains uncertain, but one thing is clear. If it does, Starship will almost certainly be the rocket that makes it possible. And that brings us to the end of today's episode. Thank you so much for tuning in. As always, this has been the one and only Kevin from The One and Only Great SpaceX. And until next time, keep looking up!