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Hi everybody, and welcome back 
to the Elon Musk podcast. 

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In this episode, we're turning 
our attention to the recent 

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strides made as SpaceX is 
Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. 

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This is a particular focus on 
the ongoing testing phase of the

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Starship program down there. 
Now from the static fire 

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testings of the Raptor engines 
to the implementation of the new

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water deluge system, we'll be 
discussing how these key 

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operations contribute to the 
program's ambitious objectives 

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of an orbital test flight, 
hopefully sometime in 2023 or 

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maybe early 2024. 
And we're also going to explore 

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the journey of Booster Nine. 
It's recent trials on the 

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orbital launch mount, the OLM, 
and what these developments 

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signify for the future of the 
Starship. 

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Now before we get into the 
details, we're taking a quick 

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commercial break, but don't go 
anywhere because there's plenty 

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more Starship news coming up. 
And remember, your continued 

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support is what helps us keep 
this show free and helps us 

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continue doing this. 
So we'll be right back. 

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So stay tuned. 
Just last week, Spacex's 

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ambitious Starship program 
shifted gears and ventured into 

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a critical phase of testing with
a focus on Booster 9, the water 

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deluge system, and other core 
aspects of the program's 

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operations of Spacex's Starbase,
Texas. 

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Now the significant recent 
activities have cleared the path

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for an intensive period of 
evaluations commencing with 

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static test firings of the 
Raptor engines facilitated by 

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the water deluge system and an 
array of large test windows were

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publicized beginning on Friday. 
Indicative of an ambitious 

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testing schedule, the agenda 
comprises 2 separate events, a 

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spin prime test, a necessary 
precursor to a static fire test 

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involving and as yet unspecified
number of engines. 

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And on Thursday, July 20th, 
SpaceX hoisted Booster 9 out of 

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the orbital launch mount 
following its transition from 

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the production vicinity of 
Starbase to the orbital 

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launchpad. 
This monumental move was made 

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feasible by the significant 
amount of work undertaken at the

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OLM and Launchpad area ahead of 
the proof test on the booster 

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earmarked for the forthcoming 
Starship launch. 

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Now Sunday, July 23rd marked 
another significant milestone as

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Booster Nine was filled with 
liquid oxygen and liquid 

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nitrogen in the methane tank. 
Both tanks reach full capacity 

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during the testing of the 
booster on the OLM, the first 

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instance since Starship's 
eventful made in flight on April

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20th. 
Now the test adopted an extended

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holding period where cryogenic 
fluids were allowed to remain in

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the tanks where the booster 
underwent AD tanking process 

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that spans several hours. 
Once the test had concluded, 

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workers open an access door at 
the base of the liquid oxygen 

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tank for inspection. 
Simultaneously, while the team 

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inspected the liquid oxygen tank
on Booster 9, the groundwork for

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the subsequent key phase of the 
boosters testing regime was 

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being laid. 
The water deluge system, which 

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had been successfully tested at 
partial pressure earlier in the 

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month, was ready for a full 
pressure examination. 

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The full pressure test on July 
28th met the mark as an outpour 

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of water jetted from steel 
plates underneath the OLM. 

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The system was designed to 
release water in an angle to 

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avoid the Raptor analysis. 
Now this water release endured 

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for a span of about 8 to 10 
seconds, as was followed by an 

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audibly potent release of 
pressure from the water tank 

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farm located behind the launch 
tower. 

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So inside the system the holes 
are geometrically arranged to 

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form a hexagon matching the 
positions of the outer 20 Raptor

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engines on the booster. 
Now ship 28 was relocated to the

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former Massey's gun range, 
though now on SpaceX testing 

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ground on Friday, July 21st for 
proof testing using cryogenic 

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fluids. 
Concurrently, Booster 10 made 

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its exit from Massey's and 
arrived at the Rocket Garden 

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adjacent to the production site.
In the early hours of Saturday, 

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July 22nd, a visible frost line 
on Ship 20 eights, liquid oxygen

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and methane tanks suggested the 
successful loading of cryogenic 

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fluids. 
On July 28th. 

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The ship, furnished with fins, 
tiles and a payload Bay, is 

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anticipated to be transported 
back to the production site for 

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the installation of its Raptor 
engines. 

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Future plans for Ship 28 include
coupling with Booster 10 for the

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third Starship test launch now. 
The extensive production and 

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testing out or taken at Starbase
has not been limited to ships 

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and boosters though. 
Smaller test components have 

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been employed to scrutinize 
various features and tolerances 

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of these vehicles. 
Ship 24.2 is one of those. 

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Test rigs is designed to 
evaluate the payload based 

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system ahead of its utilization 
to deploy full size Starlink 

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Version 2 satellites and another
recent test article features a 

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hot staging ring nestled between
an aftering for the ship and top

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section of a booster. 
This was transported to Massey's

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on Sunday, July 30th for 
structural testing and the hot 

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staging ring will be 
incorporated into Booster 9 and 

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subsequent vehicles to 
streamline the stage separation 

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procedure during flight because 
it didn't work very well on the 

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original integrated flight Test 
#1. 

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Now the separation, that is, 
there was no hot staging ring in

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the first Test. 
Now while preparations for Ship 

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20 gates flight continue, Ship 
25 has had missing tiles 

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installed and has been affixed 
to a crane for a future lift. 

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It's going to fly a top Booster 
9 for the upcoming second 

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Starship test flight Now, as 
ships 25 and 20 under go at 

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preparations for future flights,
other vehicles such as Ship 30 

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have commenced construction. 
And to make room for these new 

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endeavors, older ships like Ship
27 and Ship 15 have gone the way

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of the Dodo. 
They're gone. 

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They've been dismantled in the 
latter, a landmark vehicle and 

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Starships journey, being the 
first full vehicle with fins to 

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successfully complete a landing,
was disassembled on Wednesday, 

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July 26, and despite the ships 
boosters and the orbital launch 

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site drawing the most attention,
the production facilities of 

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Starbase are undergoing 
significant upgrades as well. 

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The final sections of a new 
processing high Bay are being 

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installed on the existing 
structure. 

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It's anticipated that this new 
facility will soon commence 

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vehicle processing. 
The expansion of the Star 

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Factory, the planned replacement
for the current factory tents, 

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is underway too. 
Another building on site appears

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to house stacks of full size 
Starlink V2 satellites, 

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preparing them for future 
launches. 

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It's yet to be determined 
whether Ship 28 will have the 

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honor of deploying the 
spacecraft first, or if it'll be

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a ship later on. 
Now when the Days to come static

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fire test of Booster 9 is 
scheduled, This critical test, 

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potentially involving possibly 
all 33 engines, will stress test

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the deluge system and steel 
plates as well as the redesigned

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OLM and a spin prime test 
preceding the static fire is 

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also on the cards. 
And in an attempt to shield the 

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launchpad and Starship from a 
potential rock tornado, SpaceX 

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is heavily reliant on an upside 
down shower head, so to speak. 

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As Elon Musk has said, this 
system is integral to the goal 

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of achieving rapid reusability 
of the launchpad, which is vital

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for Starlink version 2, Artemis 
lunar missions, Mars missions 

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and other applications of the 
Starship system in the future. 

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Hey, thank you so much for 
listening to the show today. 

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If you could take a second and 
hit the follow or subscribe 

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button on whatever podcast 
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right now, it's free and it's 
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tremendously. 
And we can continue bringing you

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these Starship updates. 
So thank you so much for that. 

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Also, please take care of 
yourselves and each other and I 

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will see you in the next one.