SpaceX continues retrofitting Pad 1 at Starbase as the company transitions into Block 3 Starship flights, bringing the aging launch complex up to current pad specifications.
What Happened
The Pad 1 retrofit began shortly after Flight 11 and Block 2 of Starship concluded. Crews have excavated most of the new trench, with the south side already receiving its rat slab concrete layer and the center likely complete as well. Workers are currently breaking concrete off the tops of Continuous Flight Auger support piles before rebar can be laid for the primary floor pour. Flame trench wall construction is underway with middle sections preassembled beside the trench. Using the Buckner LR11000 crane, these prewelded sections will be lifted into position and final-welded in place. The approach mirrors Pad 2 construction but differs from LC-39A specifications. Once flame trench walls are largely installed, crews will mount A-frames supporting twin flame diverter buckets, with prefabricated bucket sections already arriving at the Sanchez site. The launch mount service structure bunker has been preassembled and lifted into place for fitting out with electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and cryogenic hardware. SpaceX had four sides of Pad 1's first-level launch mount ready for months but could not begin assembly until corner pieces arrived, which started arriving this week. Depending on component deliveries, the launch mount could be finished in five to six months. On the tower, crews removed and scrapped the old Ship Quick Disconnect elbow and arm; new SQD components sit at Sanchez awaiting assembly. The chopsticks have been cut away, the back side of the tower base removed, and internal commodity lines gutted. Rebuilding that base section with speed core columns has not yet started. Additional infrastructure progress includes a cryogenic propellant trench beginning near pump and subcooler systems, active water deluge pipe fabrication, two new Liquid Nitrogen tanks added next to the LCH4 farm for LOX and methane subcooling, and spots prepared for two more LN2 tanks plus four unidentified future tanks.
Why It Matters
Pad 1's upgrade matters because it restores a second operational Starship pad to Starbase. With Pad 2 now handling flights, bringing Pad 1 online would give SpaceX launch redundancy and increased throughput as the program scales toward higher flight rates. The trench and flame diverter redesign suggests lessons from Block 2 testing are being incorporated. The tank farm expansion also signals preparation for more propellant-intensive operations. Current storage of roughly 13,740 metric tons LOX and 3,268 metric tons LCH4 provides approximately 3.2 stacks worth of oxygen and 2.5 stacks of methane, reducing turnaround time between flights by minimizing resupply delays.
The Bottom Line
SpaceX is methodically modernizing Pad 1 with a redesigned trench, new flame diverter system, updated launch mount, and overhauled tower infrastructure. While the launch mount remains several months from completion, preassembly work on key components suggests steady progress as Block 3 Starship flights continue from Pad 2.