SpaceX Starship De-stacked from Super Heavy with Chopsticks for First Time

SpaceX teams are conducting the first de-stacking operation of a Starship (Ship 20) from a Super Heavy booster (Booster 4) in Starbase, Texas. The fullstack is being disassembled after Elon's Starship recap last Thursday evening.

[freddielewis]

The view at 40mins with the SS just hanging there is bonkers.

[sycamore]

First demonstration of a stackable rocket on a launch pad, pretty awesome

[AdaminChina]

Booster claw retract - 8:00
QD arm retract - 15:25
Starship swivel - 30:58
Starship Descend - 47:00
Descend finish - 1:01:00

[alexanderwermlund]

The NSF Live-stream intro feels like a movie starting on Cinema.

[Trbrigade]

This was surreal, like you watching something happened first time in History. I am glad they make this operation at daylight.

[gnualmafuerte]

I just remembered, you guys promised Peter Beck to get an Electron into that intro!

[elmoremundell]

I believe the ship was unstacked .. not destacked .. at least that's what spell check is telling me. Thanks for all your great work!

[arnoldsmith]

its fun to watch really new never before seen giant rockets being carried around by a giant tower arm

[steveschritz]

Figured they’d destack … still gotta put the tiles on the nose lift anchors and they probably don’t want to test-fire booster with the Starship on top

[jezzter]

This is great thank you all. Odd hearing a british accent! Hi from Derby, UK

[АнатолийАлеев-рэ]

These significant days of the year!! 2022.02.22. or 2022.22.02 hours and minutes 02.22 or at 22.02 the era of new launches of large and super large rockets!! with high power Raptor V2 engine.

[jamescobban]

There are clearly a lot of tests of stage 0 that must be performed for which 4/20 is ideal. There is no obvious advantage to having Starship stacked on the booster during static firings, especially as the risk of a RUD is non-zero. I am assuming that SpaceX can perform up to 6 engine static fires under their current license but a full 29 engine test, which will create as much environmental impact, particularly noise, as a launch, can only proceed with the permission of the FAA. Much as we are all frustrated at the delays nobody gains from locking horns with a regulator exercising its due authority. If they close up the TPS over the crane lift points on S20 that will indicate the intention to launch 4/20.

[kenrdavis]

Does not matter how many small Sat providers there are. The first 4 have nothing more than the accolade of being first. Cost is what will determine who is successful and who is not!!

[ExplainedThroughRap]

Awesome stuff! What an amazing time to be alive! We just dropped a rap explaining the SpaceX Starship 🔥🔥🔥🚀🚀🚀

[NeoDemocedes]

Stack. De-stack. Stack. De-stack. Why SpaceX playing with my emotions?

[zapfanzapfan]

Bit of morning exercise. Lift with small starship 🙂

[johnmeleen]

They may need to do booster lift and take it off the launch pad because of the size and weight difference.

[mosesmcrae]

Do the chopsticks have a trolley system to allow movement along the arms for alignment?

[BradiKal]

My guess is that the chopsticks are going to do some curls with Booster 4 all the way up and down to simulate a booster catch

[ronheath]

Hello guys nice job you know I look at it this way what goes up must come down whether it flies down or crashes or gently lower to the ground as it was today it still has to come down now I fully expected this to happen after the news of the FAA putting off the decision to at least March 28th which actually I think is a good thing because I believe it gives SpaceX time to do some testing on the booster we don't even know if the booster is going to be able to handle 29 engines or more firing at once it could fall apart it could blow up it could do a number of different things not to be pessimistic but I look forward to some fire under the rockets really soon since we're getting methane deliveries now and I agree they have to do a static fire with the ship stacked on the booster to make sure that the ship can withstand the stress and vibrations of 29 plus engines firing off at once that has got to be a tremendous amount of stress I can't even fathom what that would look like now as far as choosing going to Hawaii for the splash down actually I think I would rather watch the launch online and be there for the actual splashdown just because it's going back to Hawaii been there once and I would love to go back sometime before I die not likely going to happen yet I could still wish