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From Render to Reality: A Status Update on Starship Block 2

June 5, 2024 by Avatar Image·Last update June 8, 2024·12 minute read
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Hot stage separation on Starship's second flight test.  |  Photo courtesy of SpaceX

The Block 2 Starship, often referred to as "version 2", is SpaceX's next major revision to the Starship launch vehicle, and it has captivated the minds of many across the greater community. As we continue to track and document the parts at SpaceX's Starbase facility, we have yet another update on what has been spotted up to this point and what we should be looking out for.

Roughly two months ago, we released an article highlighting the identified parts and expected changes as of April 2024. If you have not read this article, please visit it at this link before reading this one.


 A Quick Recap

Assuming you've read our article from last month, this should be familiar to you, but we'll still briefly recap it. The information below is specifically related to the Starship upper stage.

Up to this point, our hardware observations have indicated that the Block 2 Starship...

  1. Will have a nosecone with the same profile as Block 1.
  2. Will have a redesigned LOX header tank with a conical sump.
  3. Will have a redesigned payload bay with an updated PEZ door.
  4. Will likely introduce significantly smaller heat tiles in specific areas.
  5. Will likely have aft flaps with the same profile as Block 1.

Additionally, the official word from SpaceX revealed that the Block 2 Starship...

  1. Will be extended by one ring.
  2. Will feature engines with a higher thrust output.
  3. Will carry 300t of additional propellant, which is a 25% increase.
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A comparison between the Starship generations.  |  Chart courtesy of SpaceX

More New Stuff

The past month has been eventful, with some of the most anticipated new parts for the Block 2 Ship being spotted. We have been waiting to see some of these design changes for years, so this is a pretty big deal.

So, let's take a look at more new hardware.

Nosecone Updates

During the webcast for Starship's fourth flight test, SpaceX showed video footage of a redesigned nosecone lifted at a Starfactory workstation. We have previously talked about how the nosecone is of a similar construction to the Block 1 vehicle, but this is our first look at some of the internal and external changes.

It's unclear if this is a production pathfinder, but it is a good reference either way.

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A nosecone in the Starfactory for a Block 2 Ship.  |  Photo courtesy of SpaceX

Notably, there seem to be weld marks indicating that the base of the nosecone has many internal stringers welded to the wall. While the Block 1 nosecone has these in some spots, they appear to extend around the perimeter much more than currently.

There do not appear to be the six lifting hooks at the tip of the nosecone, further suggesting that the Block 2 vehicle will not have these at all, and there also do not appear to be any lifting connections for the Chopsticks. There have been previous indications that the lifting points are shifting lower on the Ship, so this is not unexpected.

Lots of internal stringers in a nosecone for a Block 2 Ship.  |  Photo courtesy of SpaceX
Fewer internal stringers in a nosecone for a Block 1 Ship.  |  Photo courtesy of RGV Aerial Photography

We can also see a redesigned central hinge for the forward flap, although it's hard to be sure how complete it is. It is also unclear where the actuator(s) come through, but they may penetrate through the hull in between these two connections.

Redesigned center forward flap hinge on a Block 2 nosecone.  |  Photo courtesy of SpaceX
Center forward flap hinge on a Block 1 nosecone, with the actuators in place.  |  Photo courtesy of RGV Aerial Photography

Redesigned Forward Flaps

The brand new forward flaps for the Block 2 Ship have been spotted on site, more or less matching the rendered visuals that SpaceX presented in early April 2024. These flaps have a much more swept shape compared to the current design and will no longer have the bottom edge parallel to the ground when deployed. However, they seem to have a relatively similar size.

This change has been talked about for almost three years at this point, with Elon Musk mentioning redesigning the upper flaps in 2021, so we've been waiting to see these.

Forward flaps will change a lot in upcoming versions of Starship – smaller & more leeward.

-- Elon Musk, CEO, SpaceX, Twitter Post, 21 Sep 2021
A Block 2 Starship forward flap at the production site.  |  Photo courtesy of John Cargile for WAI Media
A set of Block 1 Starship forward flaps.  |  Photo courtesy of RGV Aerial Photography

Another big change is the thickness of these flaps, as they are almost half of the thickness compared to the current generation forward flaps. This should greatly reduce their mass, further optimizing the Starship design.

While there are more changes on these flaps, the profile and thickness are the two major ones that we'll discuss today. As we learn more as the Block 2 Ship development progresses, we'll be sure to report on it.

  A Block 2 Starship forward flap being delivered.  |  Photo courtesy of Starship Gazer
A Block 1 Starship forward flap being delivered.  |  Photo courtesy of Nic Ansuini

Forward Flap Aerocovers

Relating to these forward flaps, we have spotted what appear to be the body aerocovers for these flaps, bridging the gap between the flap and the nosecone. These are thinner compared to the previous design and appear to have the leading edge cap built in.

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A side view of a Block 2 Starship forward flap aerocover.  |  Photo courtesy of RGV Aerial Photography

Note that these aerocover pieces are propped up on an angle when in storage, so they appear slightly odd.

A set of Block 2 Starship forward flap aerocovers.  |  Photo courtesy of RGV Aerial Photography
A set of Block 1 Starship forward flap aerocovers.  |  Photo courtesy of RGV Aerial Photography

Flatter Forward & Common Dome

In our previous article, we referenced a strange barrel section utilizing SpaceX's flatter dome design, and it has become apparent that SpaceX is switching the forward and common domes of the Ship to this revised design.

A dome at the production site has been spotted with holes for the two header tank downcomers on the side and a hole for the pressurization gas inlet in the direct center of the dome. These, in addition to the marker label stating it is a "SHIP FWD", indicate that SpaceX will finally be making this change.

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A marker label on the flatter dome pathfinder.  |  Photo courtesy of BocaChicaGal for NASASpaceflight

These holes in the dome mostly match the holes on the existing Ship forward dome, however, the methane header tank's downcomer hole is set closer to the center of the dome, possibly suggesting it will pass through at an angle. This may be to accommodate a revised pipe layout that is more efficient, but we will have to wait and see.

A Block 2 Starship forward dome pathfinder.  |  Photo courtesy of RGV Aerial Photography
An unfinished Block 1 Starship forward dome.  |  Photo courtesy of RGV Aerial Photography

In addition to this, a common dome has been spotted at the production site, labelled as the "S33 CMN", or Ship 33 common dome. It likely features Ship 33's name because it is just a pathfinder, but that really doesn't matter because we know that most of Ship 33 has been scrapped, and in fact, its original common dome was also scrapped.

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A Block 2 Starship common dome pathfinder.  |  Photo courtesy of RGV Aerial Photography

Revised Aft Section

The webcast for Starship's fourth flight also provided a view of two Block 2 aft dome sleeve barrels in the Starfactory, which are in various stages of production. While it isn't clear when exactly this footage was recorded, their completion state suggests that these may be flight articles. Other parts of the Starfactory montage were shown in early April, so this clip may also be from then.

This aft section matches the tile pin pathfinder that we noted in our April article, with small tile pins overtop of the aft dome area, so that is now a confirmed change on the vehicle. The rest of the pins on the aft section are to be used with the larger tiles, so there will be some variation.

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Two Block 2 aft dome sleeves, pictured in the center and on the right.  |  Photo courtesy of SpaceX

Looking at the welds, we can see that the clamp connections on the base of the Ship have been slightly revised, and are noticeably smaller in size. It is unclear if the actual interface itself has changed, but this likely reduces the mass of the receiving end.

Weld marks from a clamp receiver on a Block 2 aft section.  |  Photo courtesy of SpaceX
Weld marks from a clamp receiver on a Block 1 aft section.  |  Photo courtesy of RGV Aerial Photography

It also seems that the braces for the engine shielding floor have likely been redesigned, with welds spaced much farther apart compared to the current vehicle. The spacing between the beams seems similar, but we will likely learn more about the shielding when the Ship is fully assembled.

Weld marks from the engine shielding braces on a Block 2 aft section.  |  Photo courtesy of SpaceX
Weld marks from the engine shielding braces on a Block 1 aft section.  |  Photo courtesy of RGV Aerial Photography

At the bottom of this image, there appears to be a gas manifold for the Ship's aft section, which has pipes for methane bleeding, tank pressurization, and more. In this small glimpse of the manifold, it looks very similar to the same part on the Block 1 Ship, so this may be unchanged.

Likely gas manifold for the aft section of a Block 2 Ship.  |  Photo courtesy of SpaceX
Gas manifold in the aft section of a Block 1 Ship.  |  Photo courtesy of Nic Ansuini for NASASpaceflight

Finally, we can also see that the internal stringers in the barrel appear to be much slimmer, resulting in many more being placed around the circumference. We've marked some stringers with arrows so you can compare the placement and size.

Comparing the bolt holes to the ring, we can establish that they are very similar, if not the same, in placement. This suggests that they are adequate to use as a reference for the stringer count.

Seemingly smaller internal stringers in the aft section of a Block 2 Ship.  |  Photo courtesy of SpaceX
Internal stringers in the aft section of a Block 1 Ship.  |  Photo courtesy of Kevin Randolph for WAI Media

Possible Components

Weld Seam Tile Pins

A welding development section that was used to commission the stacking station in Mega Bay 2 had some interesting additions after it was assembled inside the bay.

This barrel is composed of a triple barrel section with two single rings stacked on top of it, and we noticed that after stacking occurred, the robot inside the Mega Bay added tile attachment pins over the weld seams.

On the current generation of Ships, SpaceX does not attach pins in these areas, but rather, attaches the tiles with an adhesive, so it is possible that this new ability may allow them to eliminate many of the adhered areas on the Ship.

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Tile pins over stacking weld seams on a development barrel.  |  Photo courtesy of BocaChicaGal for NASASpaceflight

Yet Another Weird Double Barrel

Another strange double barrel section, this time with a set of 30 internal stringers, has been spotted outside of the Starfactory building. We haven't seen any sections with 30 columns of stringers before, so it's unclear what exactly this is for.

This is quite similar to the double section with 24 internal stringers that we spotted last year, so maybe SpaceX decided to increase the number, or maybe it's an unrelated piece.

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  A double barrel section with 30 columns of internal stringers.  |  Photo courtesy of John Cargile for WAI Media

Possible Raceway Covers

Looking back at that Mega Bay 2 development section again, there were two segments fixed to the side of it that look somewhat similar to raceway covers, but this could just be testing the attachment of something else.

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Potential pathfinder raceway covers on a development section.  |  Photo courtesy of John Cargile for WAI Media

Aft Dome Pathfinder

A possible manufacturing pathfinder for the Ship aft dome was spotted leaving the Starfactory building, which may suggest that the aft dome design for Starship Block 2 won't be changing in any major ways. It's certainly not confirmed, but it's something interesting to note.

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An aft dome pathfinder moving to the scrapyard.  |  Photo courtesy LabPadre Rover

Block 2 Super Heavy

So, again, all of these parts that we have spotted are for the Starship upper stage, and there hasn't really been anything obvious for the Super Heavy Booster. It is becoming clear that the Block 2 Ship is going to look relatively similar to the rendered visual from SpaceX, so there isn't necessarily reason to suspect that the Booster won't either.

Parts of Super Heavy Booster 15 have begun making their way to the Mega Bay for stacking, but, the thing is, this design is still that of the Block 1 Super Heavy. There are essentially no discernable changes apart from the cowbell diverters that Booster 13 has not yet received. You can compare Boosters 15 and 13 in the photos below.

Booster 15's common dome section.  |  Photo courtesy of John Cargile for WAI Media
Booster 13's common dome section.  |  Photo courtesy of John Cargile for WAI Media

One interesting detail with this common dome section is the presence of a set of four equidistantly spaced structures on the inside of the dome, resembling some type of anti-vortex device, but these may be safety accommodations for working inside the dome. It is also unclear if the latest Boosters prior to 15 also have this.

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A view inside of Booster 15's common dome.  |  Photo courtesy of RGV Aerial Photography

Looking at the forward dome section, we can see that it's still the same as the forward dome section of the existing Booster, and it even has tape over the vents to keep it sterile, so it is unlikely that this is a not-for-flight article.

It's not confirmed that this is for Booster 15, so it could be for an even later article. If it is for a later article, then that doesn't help the case suggesting the Block 2 Super Heavy will debut soon.

A Booster forward dome section, likely for Booster 15.  |  Photo courtesy of John Cargile for WAI Media
A taped-over vent on the Booster forward dome section.  |  Photo courtesy of John Cargile for WAI Media

We discussed the aft section in our first article, so we won't go through that again.

Even the tank sections of Booster 15 have been showing up, with the Aft Tank #2 section having already rolled to the Mega Bay for stacking. This barrel is more or less the same as what we see on the existing Super Heavy, although it appears to have an excess of what is believe to be a weld-check fluid applied to the surface.

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An aft tank #2 or #4 section for a Super Heavy Booster.  |  Photo courtesy of BocaChicaGal for NASASpaceflight

Now, we're not trying to fuel the never-ending debates that ensue when discussing a Block 2 Ship flying on a Block 1 Booster, but it is a possibility that should not be discounted.

It is now apparent that Booster 15 is the same design as the latest Super Heavy Boosters, so this creates an interesting situation. It is almost guaranteed that there will still be small revisions on each Booster, as we see every couple of vehicles, but the "Block 2" changes seem nonexistent for now.

If we expect the Block 2 Super Heavy to look like SpaceX's depiction, which seems true for the Ship, then it is quite unlikely that we are looking at the parts for it. This is furthered by the vast amount of Block 2 Ship hardware that has been spotted, compared to the lack of any obvious hardware for the Booster.

We're not trying to take a stance or persuade you into thinking one way or the other, but these are the facts as it currently stands.

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Starship's third flight test lifting off from Starbase.  |  Photo courtesy of SpaceX

Flying the two generations of vehicles together might not be a perfect match of stages, as Super Heavy may initially lack the lifting capacity that the next generation vehicle is stated to have. If SpaceX pursues this, it may require the Ship to be underfilled to reduce the wet mass, as it should have an extra 300t of propellant, but this may not be necessary.

Either way, we're going to keep an eye on these developments, and we'll put out another article on the development of the Block 2 Ship once more is spotted. As we see more and more, it's becoming ever clear that we are in for a very large number of changes, and as SpaceX continually says, excitement is guaranteed.