IT Home reported on December 9 that as the seventh flight test of Starship approaches, SpaceX is stepping up the manufacture of follow-up rockets to support the Starship test program in 2025. Footage taken by local media in Boca Chica, Texas, shows SpaceX making parts for Starship's upper stage rocket at its factory, with welding robots welding Starship's nose cone from multiple angles.
To create Starship's upper and lower stage rockets, SpaceX uses a phased approach to production. First, the steel plates are rolled into a tubular shape and then welded into a frame to form the external support of the rocket fuel tank and internal structure. In particular, the upper stage of the starship was assembled with a different technology than the other stages due to the fact that its nose end required the installation of flaps for stability during flight liftoff.
SpaceX's Starfactory factory is already up and running, and multiple production steps are in full swing. This includes inspecting the nose cone with the insulation tile installed to ensure that it is performing as required.
At the same time, SpaceX is also testing the Super Heavy booster on the launch platform. The latest footage shows the company conducting rotational start tests on the boosters' pumps to ensure they are able to inject propellant and fuel into the engine. In addition, SpaceX conducted a series of tank tests to verify the integrity of the booster structure and the reliability of other systems.
According to IT House, these tests laid the foundation for static ignition tests. Static ignition is an important part of rocket testing and is usually one of several key tests performed prior to flight. The seventh flight of Starship is expected in January of next year.