Booster 4 Prepared for Launch Mount Removal | SpaceX Boca Chica

The SpaceX LR 11000 crane has been attached to Booster 4 as crews prepare to remove it from the orbital launch mount. Meanwhile, thermal tiles were attached to Ship 24’s nosecone sections and dome segments are spotted outside the tents.

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L2 Boca Chica (more clips and photos) from BC's very early days to today.

0:00 Sunrise Over the Launch Site
0:12 The Launch Site
0:27 Booster 4 Connected to the SpaceX LR 11000 Crane
0:48 Crews Prepare the Booster Transport Stand for Booster 4
1:18 Crews Weld Steel Parts on the Orbital Launch Mount
2:00 Chopstick Work Continues
2:40 Quick Disconnect Arm
4:03 The Production Site
4:22 Wide Bay Construction Continues
4:42 Thermal Tiles Applied to Ship 24’s Nosecone Sections
6:05 Booster Quick Disconnect Retracts
6:58 The Production Site
7:48 Air Conditioning Unit Lifted Into Place
8:14 Dome Segments Outside the Tents
8:40 New Booster Thrust Puck
9:05 Temporary Construction Elevator Inside the Wide Bay

[NASASpaceflight]

0:00 Sunrise Over the Launch Site
0:12 The Launch Site
0:27 Booster 4 Connected to the SpaceX LR 11000 Crane
0:48 Crews Prepare the Booster Transport Stand for Booster 4
1:18 Crews Weld Steel Parts on the Orbital Launch Mount
2:00 Chopstick Work Continues
2:40 Quick Disconnect Arm
4:03 The Production Site
4:22 Wide Bay Construction Continues
4:42 Thermal Tiles Applied to Ship 24’s Nosecone Sections
6:05 Booster Quick Disconnect Retracts
6:58 The Production Site
7:48 Air Conditioning Unit Lifted Into Place
8:14 Dome Segments Outside the Tents
8:40 New Booster Thrust Puck
9:05 Temporary Construction Elevator Inside the Wide Bay

[theshyguy]

Goodbye booster 4 and ship 20, thankyou for ur valuable contribution

[michaelg]

There's a lot of work between now and then but catching a super heavy out of the sky, fresh from space, there's something I gotta see!!!

[flightofone]

Thanks for the coverage. I like the wind noise - it is more like being there.

[paulc.sachsejr.]

It’s like setting up your Christmas tree then not having Christmas then taking the tree back down again....lol

[fabiofeliciano]

Acompanhando diariamente o Spaceflight... GoSpaceX...

[genarbiterstop-motions]

I love how the qd on the launch pad actually closes up after detaching to shield itself for superheavy launches.

[GHOSTSTALKER]

That's one sexy rocket ....but not in a weird way like the one Bezos made =)

[rejnizf]

lets get ship/booster 24/7 ready to fly in may!!

[miroslavmilan]

Funny that they’re still not using the chopsticks 🥢 to lift the booster, but opted for the crane 🏗 again. I wonder what could be the reason. Structural integrity of the booster? I doubt that, as it would use the same load bearing points. Uncertainty of the chopsticks’ reliability with an even heavier load, and not taking any chances while it’s their only way to stack a rocket?

[BirdTho]

The dome segments on the truck look like a start to a mobile home

[ronheath]

Yes it kind of looks like the next stop for B4 and for S20 is the static display AKA rocket garden

[badrinair]

THank you Mary, Nic and the NSF team for sharing this footage with us fans. I always thought the robots installed the heat sheilds on the nose cone section. can take quite a while if it is manuall . great progress as always. time to say good bye to B4.

[ChziTzskR]

Speculation, b5 and sn 22/21 will also be test subjects to project zero. Sn 24 and booster 7 are likely to be the first, or unless you see a boat load of raptor v2 coming in when booster 5 is around then maybe they will do a static fire test.. not fly booster 5 tho, they want to see how the olp is going to hold up

[ricardopetrere]

That "temporary elevator" could very well become permanent, right? I mean, not exactly at that position (it looks too much facing the wall), but it being inside the wide bay, instead of out of it, like the High bay one is.

[XanderMWS]

4:03 Ouuuuh someone has good taste in cars :D

[airplanegirl]

I'm wondering if this is the last crane lift before they use the chopsticks to place the booster on the launch mount.. I can see the crane being used for the sub orbital launch and testing platforms.

[patmiller]

Curious as to why the use of a crane?? If I may ?? Consider using laser beems from the lift to the ground for exact mounting and dismounting. Can be preset to ensure timely interchange. Also can either of the bases ( stages and prep) move one way or the other.

[plantkiller]

Curious if 4 and 20 have plumbing, sensor and limited control packaging only for the testing. I would not think the navigation components would be included or necessary. Physical proof of concept an integrity.

[happyhome]

Too much wind noise on this one -- thought y'all had that licked.