---
title: 'Booster 20 Returns for Engines Ahead of Flight 13 | SpaceX Starbase'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=7ii_4O-P008'
video_id: '7ii_4O-P008'
date: 2026-08-05
duration_sec: 642
---

# Booster 20 Returns for Engines Ahead of Flight 13 | SpaceX Starbase

> Source: [Booster 20 Returns for Engines Ahead of Flight 13 | SpaceX Starbase](https://youtube.com/watch?v=7ii_4O-P008)

## Summary

This video provides a detailed update on SpaceX's Starbase activities from June 7th to June 12th, focusing on the preparation of Booster 20 for Flight 13 and the ongoing construction and testing of other vehicles. The narrator, Alex, covers maintenance on the launch tower's chopsticks, the movement of boosters and tanks, and the status of various test tanks and ships.

### Key Points

- **Introduction and Scope** [00:02] — Alex introduces himself as the narrator, covering Starbase activities from June 7th to 12th. He mentions that John and Dez are unavailable, and he will explain later why he is hosting.
- **Chopsticks Maintenance** [00:15] — Work is being done on the chopsticks' carriage system, continuing from previous maintenance. The carriage system holds the arms and rolls up and down the tower using skates, which are being upgraded or maintained.
- **Scaffolding and Launch Mount Refurbishment** [01:08] — Scaffolding is being set up on the chopsticks, and the launch mount is being refurbished. This is the first launch from Pad 2, so upgrades and fixes are expected based on findings from Flight 12.
- **Gateway to Mars Sign Damage** [01:46] — The 'Gateway to Mars' sign on a wall was blown apart during the launch. Alex notes this was probably unexpected but not unplanned, given the rocket's proximity to the flame trench.
- **Booster 20 Cryo Test and Rollback** [02:14] — Booster 20 completed a second cryo proof test with liquid nitrogen and oxygen. It will roll back to Mega Bay 1 to have engines installed, and Booster 21's liquid oxygen tank was moved out to make room.
- **DAS Availability and Launch Dates** [03:12] — DAS is unavailable because he is providing launch livestream services to ISRU Space. ISRU Space's press release suggests a launch window of June 15th-21st, but dates can shift.
- **Starship Update and Flight Schedule** [04:02] — Alex mentions an upcoming Starship update video. Gwynne Shotwell hints at a possible July flight for Flight 13 if engines are installed on time, with Flight 14 a month later and Flight 15 possibly from the Cape.
- **Booster 21 and Ship 41 Status** [05:38] — Booster 21's liquid oxygen tank is being built, and Ship 41 is stacked in Mega Bay 2, likely for Flight 14. Booster 20 will roll out to Pad 2 for engine testing after engines are installed.
- **Gigabay Construction and TPS Work** [07:39] — Construction continues on the fifth level of the Gigabay, with a 'penthouse' planned. Ship 41 shows TPS (thermal protection system) work, including the use of crush wrap to fill gaps between tiles.
- **Test Tanks and Cryo Tests** [08:53] — Various test tanks (Booster 18.3, 18.1, 39.1) are present. Ship 39.1 test tank underwent its 14th and 15th cryo tests, highlighting the importance of gathering extra data even after successful flights.

### Conclusion

The video provides a comprehensive update on SpaceX's Starbase operations, emphasizing the iterative nature of rocket development and the importance of testing and maintenance. The upcoming flights (13, 14, 15) are anticipated, with schedules subject to change.

## Transcript

going from June 7th to June 12th. And if you're wondering, who's this guy that's talking? This is not John, this is not Dez. Who is this? Well, I am Alex, and with Dez, keep watching cuz I'll explain
it later. Meanwhile, here we have the chopsticks being worked on. They they were opened there in order to work on the carriage system. It's a bit of a continuation of what we saw in the previous summary
where they were removing some of the skates on the carriage system. The carriage system is the system that, you know, on one end it holds onto the arms, as you can see there on the left, and on the other hand, sort of holds onto the
onto the tower. And it rolls up and down the tower thanks to those skates that probably are just doing some kind of maintenance upgrades to those skates. We really don't know. It seems like those kind of skates will probably be long
know, they suddenly have to change after flight 12. They were probably thinking about this maybe before that. Other things though might have to do with that flight 12 being perhaps a bit more damaging that
they thought uh in in certain areas. We we see a lot of scaffolding now being set up there on the chopsticks, for example. Of course, the launch mount as well getting more attention as they refurbish the launch
mount and and try to work through all of the things that they may have found out on that flight. Remember, it was the very first time they launched from pad two. So, they're bound to find things that they need to upgrade, to fix. They
they were they will not start right away with 1-hour turnarounds, right, on this launchpad. That's the whole point. But, you know, speaking of other damage that might have been a bit unplanned is the one to the "Gateway to Mars" sign that
was here in this wall. Probably not unexpected, which is different than unplanned, right? Like Yeah, it it blew apart, sure. Yeah, it it blew apart, sure. It's not unexpected. It's a big rocket
pretty much at the other end of the flame trench. So, yeah. Probably not unexpected, but maybe unplanned. That's my take.
The liquid oxygen tank may be moved out of Mega Bay 1, and the reason for that is in the next few clips because the whole point of just exiting the bay is to leave room for Booster 20. That, as you can see there, it completed
a second cryo test cryo proof proof test with a load nitrogen and oxygen in this booster and sort of try to [snorts] make sure that it can hold the the the structures and and there's like pushers on the bottom as well that simulate the
everything. It's a whole thing that they do here. And so, it's it's really really important that they do this before installing the engines. So, Booster 20 will have to roll back, and if Booster
21 is in the middle of the bay, it doesn't have any room to move around. So, that's why Booster 21 had to exit Mega Bay 1. Now, as for DAS, the way. As it's rolling back, I'll talk about
what happened to DAS, which is well, you know, here at NSF we cover launches and sometimes we provide launch livestream services to other companies. In this case, to ISRU Space is helping out there, and so he's not available. He's
company has put out a press release out there. They're saying like maybe June 15th to 21st. We'll see if that's the case, right? Like it's it's one of those things that companies tend to target
certain launch dates, but you know what happens in spaceflight. this this things can can move up and down the schedule. That's why I always say, you know, next spaceflight, it's the place to to go for
that. nextspaceflight.com. It's also an app. And so, you can see you check on those launch dates just like you check also on Starship launch dates, which there's been some news lately. And if you want to know some of those news, I'm
also writing the Starship update video that's hopefully releasing this Monday. I'm a little bit late with my scripts, and we have to release a little bit anybody. Yeah, I should be writing right now that
Starship update that script. Uh but I'm here instead uh talking here about scripted, by the way. They are totally just as we go. Just watch the clips and see what's happening and and things like that. Here Booster
20 returning back to the production site And yeah, as I was saying, you know, they had to remove Booster 21 out of they had to remove Booster 21 out of that mega bay. Uh you know, Booster 21
hopefully flight 14, Booster 20 here flight 13. That's the hope. Unless for whatever reason they change order, which is highly unlikely, right? Um but yeah,
Okay, I'm going to spoil the Starship update. Uh Gwynne Shotwell is saying don't know if that's going to be the case. Maybe they will, you know, if they get the engines on the booster right on time, and they do the static firing and
they can get a a a July flight. We'll see. Flight 14 maybe a month after that. And flight 15 maybe from the Cape? We don't know, right? That that's the kind of thing
it's it's sort of like up in the air. Uh except Starship, I guess, right now right now there it's it's it's on the ground. Yeah, I can also do puns, I >> [laughter] >> uh [sighs]
Look, I'm just trying to to to get uh through through all of this cuz we have here Booster 20, and as I was explain, they're building Booster 21 that liquid oxygen tank
feel like at least at the time of this recording had not an engine section. I think uh I mean recording of the clip, not of By the time that I'm recording this, they are indeed already stacked on that
And so the only thing left will be the So we're waiting to see if we can see that happening in the next few weeks as well. Booster 20 once it got its once it gets its engines, excuse me, uh it
should roll out to pad two. We'll cover that as well here in NSF live streams >> [snorts] >> And we'll see when they fire up that baby and you know, get it ready for flight.
go out for it for testing for engine testing at Massey's at any point, so keep your eyes peeled for that. We can see there right in the background. If you scroll back a little bit in the video, you might see tiles.
That's Ship 41. That should be flight 14 as well. Again, you know, pending no shifting around of vehicles, that should have been uh flight 14 Ship 41 already stacked in the
Mega Bay 2. And here Booster 20 going into Mega Bay 1. Much easier without the the grid fins. >> When they install the grid fins, they have to rotate and keep an eye for
clearances and everything. It's a lot easier here without the grid fins. But yeah, they have three work stands sort of on the back half of the bay and they were moving it to the to the back
right of the of the bay. And then of course, put Booster 20 on the work stand. Now they were able to return Booster 21's liquid oxygen tank to Mega Bay 1.
So yeah, and then we can see here more gigabyte construction happening. I believe this is the work on the fifth level, if I'm not mistaken. There's like a final level above that. That's sort of what they call the the penthouse. It's
sort of like this this sort of roof area where they might have offices and and like the other bays as well. Here is ship 41 that I was talking about before. Again, hopefully that flight 14. You can see the crunch
wrap there on some of that TPS thermal protection system. They use It's a lot easier. But just so you know what TPS means. And there we can see the sort of crunch
wrap. They have these sort of weird felt that that sort of wraps around the the the the edges of the tile. And that's a good way of just filling the gaps. And then they they sort of trim it as we can see here.
And that keeps a good seal in between the tiles cuz you know the tiles if you have gaps, then uh the plasma can can sort of hit that area and it's not not good.
But yeah, this area was not It's one of the areas where they sort of weld together the the barrel sections, right? The the bottom most barrel section gets welded there. So, after it's welded and the ship is
that up and so that's what we're seeing here. That work finally being done. All of the test tanks here from booster 18.3, booster point 18.3, booster point 18.1. There's also 39.1
the on the left. So many test tanks. Whenever I have to write about these for Starship Update, it's not really a joy. many tests, but I'm
tank, I think they've only done two cryos on on it, which is weird. But, as you can see here, ship 39.1 test tank, 14th cryo test And the 15th. >> [laughter]
>> So, yeah. Uh I mean, it just happens. Even though they have already flown and they have tested, for example, there the the hot staging interface on booster 18.3 and everything, they still test all
of these test tanks. It's always good to have extra data. It doesn't hurt. As long as it's still there, right? Might as well gather some more data. Sometimes, you test for, you know, anomalies, scenarios, and things like
envelope sort of thing that they talk about in engineering. But, in any case, you know, uh I'm not Das, I'm Alex, as I said before, but hey, it's it's some big shoes to fill, I guess.
and thanks to all the people in the field as well, in the Starbase area. Robert and Thomas for editing this video, and we'll see you all in the next video, and we'll see you all in the next one.