Overview
Type: | Prototype |
---|---|
Class: | Super Heavy |
Status: | Retired |
Fate: | Relocated to rocket garden in June 2022 |
Year Built: | 2021 |
Year Decomissioned: | 2022 |
History
Construction
Booster 4 is a Super Heavy booster that is currently under construction in Boca Chica, Texas.
It was reported by NASASpaceFlight.com that Ship 20 (previously known as SN20) with Booster 4 (originally planned to be BN3, which instead was incorporated into Booster 3) would attempt an orbital test launch by 1 July 2021. The launch scheduled was later pushed back into July/August.
This was later confirmed by Elon Musk who tweeted that Booster 4 would be the first one to fly, while Booster 3 would be used in ground tests. There would be significant design changes between Booster 3 and 4 as there had been difficulties in the construction of Booster 3.
A section of Booster 4 was spotted in the High Bay on 3 July 2021. By 21 July it had been stacked to twelve rings tall, with the Methane Transfer Tube (aka Downcomer pipe) being installed in the early hours of 27 July. The launch appeared to take on new urgency with Elon Musk ordering several hundred of SpaceX’s employees at Hawthorne to relocate to Boca Chica to speed up the development of Ship 20 and Booster 4, along with the Orbital Launch Platform to have the Starship system on the pad by 5 August.
The LOX section was stacked on 30 July. At the same time a grid fin was spotted arriving and installation started later that night. Around 3:30pm on 1 August final stacking operations began, by 4:27pm the stacking had been completed apart from the final welding. Raptor engines were then moved nearby and Elon announced that the engines were being installed, and observers kept note of the arriving engines as they arrived.
SpaceX engineers worked throughout the night so that by morning on 2 August, Super Heavy Booster 4 had received 29 raptor engines.
During a tour of SpaceX’s Boca Chica operations by Tim Dodd (Everyday Astronaut), Elon Musk stated that the grid fins mounted to Booster 4 would not retract, a decision made to cut down on the complexity of the build and speed up the production process.
Testing
2021
On 3 August, Booster 4 was rolled out to the Orbital Launch Pad, marking the first time that an orbital capable Super Heavy had been completed and moved. The next day on 4 August Booster 4 was placed on the launch pad in preparation for having Ship 20 stacked on top of it.
After a delay a one day delay due to higher than expected winds, Ship 20 was successfully stacked onto Booster 4 on 6 August at 7:56am, marking the first time a Super Heavy Booster and the second stage Starship had been stacked, representing the largest rocket in human history to date. Booster 4 stayed on the Orbital Launch Pad until 12 August when it was rolled back to the High Bay, with Elon announcing that it would return to the launch pad on Monday 16 August (winds permitting).
After arriving in the High Bay, engineers began to remove the Raptor engines from the booster. The planned return to the launch pad did not end up taking place, with Booster 4 remaining in the High Bay for the rest of August as it was tended to by engineers. It was noted during the night of 23/24 August that more Raptor engines were spotted being moved nearby and several of them were reinstalled. By 7 September, Booster 4 had its 29 raptor engines installed and was rolled out again to the Orbital Launch Pad A and was lifted onto the launch mount for a second time a day later on 8 September.
On 10 September Elon stated on Twitter that the static fire testing for Booster 4 was planned for “hopefully next week“. 17 September saw the removal of Raptor 67 with it being replaced by Raptor 64 the next day. On 25 September Booster 4 was lifted off the Orbital Launch Pad and placed on a stand nearby, presumably to allow for more work on the launch tower including the installation of the arms that will be used to catch future Boosters.
Elon Musk gave an interview to the SSB & BPA Joint Fall Meeting on November 17 (watch here), revealing more details about the Starship program including a targeted launch date of January/February 2022 for S20/B4.
Testing was kicked up a gear when Booster 4 was returned to the Orbital Launch Platform on December 13, a few days later Elon Musk tweeted footage of the central Raptor engines undergoing a gimbal test. The first cryogenic pressure test was carried out on December 17, with another substantial test being observed on December 22.
Booster 4 was removed from the Orbital Launch Pad on December 30, being placed on a stand near by.
2022
With preparations for a possible stacking taking place, the grid fins were unstrapped on February 1. A few days later on February 5, Booster 4 began the process of returning to the Orbital Launch Pad once again on February 6. The stack was completed during the night of February 9/10, with Ship 20 remaining supported by the chop stick arms.
On February 14 Ship 20 was de-stacked again from Booster 4 and lowered to the ground. Booster 4 under went a successful cryogenic test on March 2. Ship 20 was stacked with Booster 4 again on March 15. The first ever stacked cryogenic pressure test took place on the night of March 16/17, with a follow up propellant loading test being completed on March 18. The next night on March 19 saw Ship 20 being destacked from Booster 4 for what is believed to be the final time. A methane test was conducted on March 2.
Preparations were made to lift Booster 4 off the launch mount when the SpaceX LR 11000 Crane was positioned near by on March 23, with the Booster being removed the next day on March 24, paving the way for Booster 7 to be moved to the launch mount in anticipation of the first orbital flight test.
Booster 4 was moved to the rocket garden on June 30.
Milestones
All dates & times are local unless otherwise indicated.
Date | Type | Location | |
---|---|---|---|
August 1, 2021 | Construction | Boca Chica, Texas | |
August 3, 2021 | Moved to Pad | Boca Chica, Texas | |
Rolled out to Orbital Launch Pad A | |||
August 6, 2021 | Construction | Boca Chica, Texas | |
Marks the first time a Super Heavy booster and Starship second stage had been stacked | |||
September 7, 2021 | Moved to Pad | Boca Chica, Texas | |
Rolled out to Orbital Launch Pad A | |||
December 17, 2021 | Cryogenic Pressure Test Success | Boca Chica, Texas | |
December 21, 2021 | Cryogenic Pressure Test Success | Boca Chica, Texas | |
December 22, 2021 | Cryogenic Pressure Test Success | Boca Chica, Texas | |
March 2, 2022 | Cryogenic Pressure Test Success | Boca Chica, Texas | |
March 16, 2022 | Cryogenic Pressure Test Success | Boca Chica, Texas | |
Stacked with Ship 20. | |||
June 30, 2022 | Decomissioned | Boca Chica, Texas | |
Relocated to rocket garden |
Raptor Engines
Engine Number | Installation Year |
---|---|
RB7 | 2021 |
RB2 | 2021 |
RB3 | 2021 |
RB15 | 2021 |
RB19 | 2021 |
RB9 | 2021 |
RB21 | 2021 |
RB18 | 2021 |
RB4 | 2021 |
RB6 | 2021 |
RC74 | 2021 |
RC79 | 2021 |
RC58 | 2021 |
RB8 | 2021 |
RB11 | 2021 |
RB14 | 2021 |
RB20 | 2021 |
RC65 | 2021 |
Location History
Location | Date From | Date To |
---|---|---|
Production Facility (Boca Chica, Texas) | July 3, 2021 | August 3, 2021 |
Orbital Launch Pad A (Boca Chica, Texas) | August 3, 2021 | August 12, 2021 |
Production Facility (Boca Chica, Texas) | August 12, 2021 | September 7, 2021 |
Orbital Launch Pad A (Boca Chica, Texas) | September 7, 2021 | March 24, 2022 |
Launch Facility (Boca Chica, Texas) | March 24, 2022 | Present |
Media
Development Videos
Related
First one to fly will, so Booster 4. Booster 3 will be used for ground tests. We’re changing much of design from 3 to 4. Booster 3 was very hard to build. Expect especially rapid evolution in first ~10 boosters & first ~30 ships.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2021
Booster 4!https://t.co/dGpvgoDEmt pic.twitter.com/PZotWQjMql
— RGV Aerial Photography (@RGVaerialphotos) July 28, 2021
Starship 20 in the mid bay now:
— Starship Gazer (@StarshipGazer) July 28, 2021
1:06 pm 7/28/21 pic.twitter.com/BjBBduAUlr
Starship 20 nose cone getting covered with thermal insulation right now.
— Starship Gazer (@StarshipGazer) July 28, 2021
2:15 pm 7/28/21 pic.twitter.com/TWbs1VpUYo
Because enough hasn't already happened today in Starbase...
— Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) July 29, 2021
Booster 4 action in the High Bay.https://t.co/b3DDKu9UUz pic.twitter.com/xs3DSLicFA
BN4 must be eating it’s veggies cause it keeps growing!#Spacexnews #spacex #starbase #starship pic.twitter.com/M5ckBdBmnL
— Nic Ansuini (@NicAnsuini) July 29, 2021
B4 grid fin install at Starbase production site. 🤩
— Mary (@BocaChicaGal) July 31, 2021
@NASASpaceflight pic.twitter.com/EhNecS2kPz
Installing Starship booster engines for first orbital flight pic.twitter.com/yhqrNFBclh
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 2, 2021
Super Heavy Booster moving to orbital launch mount pic.twitter.com/axaDnXNm84
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 3, 2021
Booster4 & Ship 20🚀 pic.twitter.com/wH0OgIPR6j
— RGV Aerial Photography (@RGVaerialphotos) August 5, 2021
StarShip SuperHeavy has been born pic.twitter.com/Ija0QNKp6H
— Austin Barnard🚀 (@austinbarnard45) August 6, 2021
29 Raptors rolling down Highway 4.
— Chris Bergin - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) September 7, 2021
Booster 4 making progress en route to the launch site.https://t.co/APLl78W8fn pic.twitter.com/aoOCNyLsb0
Timelapse of Booster 4's cryogenic proof test on Wednesday. 🚀pic.twitter.com/xxdUYBX9t7
— Adrian Li (@AdrianL16882023) December 23, 2021
Starship Super Heavy engine steering test pic.twitter.com/VG4RQAGuyk
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 18, 2021
Incredible scene from today's Starship Super Heavy lift! Booster 4 is lowered off the launch mount... Next up is Booster 7!
— Cosmic Perspective (@considercosmos) March 25, 2022
Spot the humans with taglines for scale 🧐
📷: https://t.co/98CAvJZOIc pic.twitter.com/OryrJQrTT3
Booster 4 has been removed from the Orbital Launch Mount to make way for Booster 7 testing.
— ∆V 🇺🇦 (@DELTA_V) March 24, 2022
Here's a timelapse from the Rover 2, Nerdle and Lab Cams cut together. (Each timelapse can be found below)
📸 @LabPadre pic.twitter.com/Hc3HJq1Zwa
More Information
Wikipedia
NASASpaceFlight.com
Booster 4 returns to the Launch Mount ahead of test campaign