The Shockwaves From Starship’s Biggest Test Were Insane

The video covers a milestone week for SpaceX, headlined by the most powerful rocket static fire ever conducted at Starbase, with Booster 19 igniting all 33 Raptor engines to produce roughly 8,000 tonnes of thrust and setting records for both power and duration. After a violent deluge-system failure during rehearsal, SpaceX quickly replaced a gasifier and the water system performed flawlessly during the test, keeping Starship Flight 12 on track for a May 15–21 launch window. The episode also highlights stacking Ship 39 with Booster 19, a new vertical pad assembly method, and hardware confirming horizontal transport plans for Florida. Additional stories include two Falcon 9 missions, Blue Origin’s fairing re-entry footage, and NASA’s restructured Artemis III as a LEO mission, alongside a promotional segment for Odoo project management software.

• ▶ 0:05 The week's headline is the most powerful rocket test ever: a static fire at Pad 2 after months of repairs and upgrades.
• ▶ 0:16 A post-test "hiccup" raises the central question of whether Starship Flight 12 will still launch in the coming week.
• ▶ 0:27 The episode teases additional major stories: more Falcon 9 launches, Starlink views, Blue Origin updates, and "mind-blowing" Artemis news.
• ▶ 0:54 Starship Flight 12's mid-May launch date is holding steady.
• ▶ 0:59 Launch window is set for May 15–21, with daily windows from 5:30 PM to 7:43 PM at Starbase.
• ▶ 1:19 The schedule has shifted a few days later from the earliest opportunity previously reported.
• ▶ 1:36 During the full water deluge rehearsal, the system activated with "ridge," "buckets," and "top deck" before a violent depressurization event occurred in the deluge farm.
• ▶ 2:01 One of the three gasifiers failed "enthusiastically," blowing off roof panels and bending steel bars, revealing the extreme pressures involved.
• ▶ 2:22 Despite community panic, SpaceX responded quickly—a replacement gasifier was already on site, and the buckets were tested again by Tuesday, minimizing delay.
• ▶ 2:43 Both previous static fires of Booster 19 were cut short due to deluge system issues, making another Super Heavy static fire highly likely.
• ▶ 2:59 Booster 19 rolled out to the pad on the transport stand after testing closures were installed.
• ▶ 3:16 New upgrades include a thermal coating around the base plus spherical aerodynamic shrouds on the engine interface, making it the most visually impressive Super Heavy yet.
• ▶ 4:16 Booster 19 completed a full-duration static fire with all 33 Raptor engines ignited at full thrust, a milestone unlike any previous booster test at Pad 1.
• ▶ 4:40 The static fire likely exceeded 8,000 tonnes of thrust, setting records as the most powerful rocket thrust ever achieved by SpaceX and easily surpassing all previously recorded rocket thrust.
• ▶ 5:04 The test showcased the sheer raw power through visible shockwaves, underscoring the success after addressing the deluge system issue from the earlier aborted attempt.
• ▶ 5:09 The static fire was a massive spectacle, unleashing around 8,000 tonnes of thrust that the pad and Starship somehow withstood, with flames erupting in just two directions.
• ▶ 5:33 The water deluge system performed perfectly this time, safely managing the immense heat and energy from the engines.
• ▶ 5:38 The test set two records: the most powerful demonstration ever and SpaceX’s longest Super Heavy static fire.
• ▶ 5:44 Shout-out to Avid Space Crew, thanking them for their coverage and support.
• ▶ 5:55 The Avid Space Rover 3 was heavily damaged, with blown-out windows and tires indicating it had been shoved over, likely by launch force.
• ▶ 6:04 Since the Rover 3 needs to be towed, the narrator urges support for Avid Space, noting they could use help.
• ▶ 6:20 After the full-stack test, workers lowered tower arms and extended the Ship Quick Disconnect to prepare for receiving Ship 39.
• ▶ 6:32 A snag occurred when one of the tower arm skates was removed, but it was quickly replaced, allowing Ship 39 to roll in and be stacked with Booster 19.
• ▶ 7:00 This stacking marked a first for the new pad and Version 3 vehicles, with a potential wet dress rehearsal scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
• ▶ 7:32 SpaceX is assembling the Pad 1 commodities bunker vertically with a preassembly jib, a new approach not used for previous pads.
• ▶ 7:43 This method lets large parts of the pad structure be built before groundwork finishes, optimizing for the many launch pads SpaceX plans to construct.
• ▶ 8:44 The tank farm expansion after removing small methane tanks aligns with SpaceX's goal of loading two full Starship stacks with minimal or no replenishment between launches.
• ▶ 8:56 Multiple sections of the Pad 1 orbital launch mount's second layer are stacking up at Sanchez, but real assembly waits on missing lower-portion sections.
• ▶ 9:17 Hardware labeled "Booster horizontal aft frame" and "Horizontal transport stand" confirms plans for horizontal transport of Super Heavy and Starship to Florida.
• ▶ 9:32 This will be the first time a Starship vehicle is laid down; starting with the booster lets SpaceX validate new Pad 39A tank farm systems with the larger vehicle.
• ▶ 10:05 Managing multiple tasks across projects is chaotic, causing missed deadlines and forgotten work.
• ▶ 10:18 Odoo's Project app is an all-in-one solution with easy setup, task assignment, deadlines, priorities, rich task content, split tasks, and integrated communication.
• ▶ 11:23 Multiple project views (Kanban, Gantt, List) give clear oversight; the first app is free forever, with access to 70+ Odoo apps.
• ▶ 12:03 SpaceX is assembling a second Starship PEZ-style Starlink dispenser, likely to enable 60 satellite launches via two 30-satellite loaders.
• ▶ 13:26 Ship 40 features a notable design change: the forward flap pulley system was swapped out for actuators, and the ship began rapid cryogenic proofing with two loading campaigns completed overnight.
• ▶ 14:38 Booster 21 began rapid stacking with its liquid oxygen tank and common dome, just one week after Booster 20 finished stacking.
• ▶ 15:18 Rocket Lab resumed Archimedes engine testing at Stennis after last year’s anomaly, running full-duration burns, TVC tests, and vacuum hot fires as it ramps toward Neutron’s first flight.
• ▶ 15:51 SpaceX launched a 45-satellite Falcon 9 rideshare, landing booster B1071 after its 33rd flight; later in the week it also flew a Starlink mission with 24 satellites.
• ▶ 19:04 Blue Origin released New Glenn fairing re-entry footage from its BlueBird mission, using a reaction control system to steer the descent and gather data for future fairing recovery.
• ▶ 19:47 NASA restructured Artemis III as a LEO mission in a 250 nautical mile, 33-degree orbit to test rendezvous and docking with a commercial lunar lander, likely avoiding use of the ICPS and requiring near-continuous high-bandwidth comms for 4K video.
• ▶ 21:33 NASA released over 12,000 Artemis II photos taken by the crew, with sequences being stitched into short videos for new perspectives on the first crewed lunar flyby in over 50 years.
• ▶ 22:34 Soyuz-5 completed its suborbital maiden flight from Baikonur, an expendable Falcon 9-class rocket unrelated to the classic Soyuz, with future plans to cluster up to six boosters into a super-heavy vehicle.

• ▶ 0:05 Introduction and Starbase Progress (0:05 - 10:05) - - Covers Flight 12 launch window, Pad 2 and Booster 19 static fire testing, record thrust, full stack prep, and multiple Starbase pad/tank/site infrastructure updates.
• ▶ 10:05 Sponsor: Odoo Project App (10:05 - 12:03) - - Sponsor segment for Odoo’s project management app and how it helps organize complex projects.
• ▶ 12:03 Starbase Ships and Stacking Updates (12:03 - 15:18) - - PEZ Starlink loader assembly, Ship 40/41 progress, Booster 21 stacking, and Starship stacking ahead of Flight 12.
• ▶ 15:18 Industry, Falcon, Starlink, and Blue Origin (15:18 - 19:47) - - Rocket Lab Archimedes testing, SpaceX Falcon 9/Starlink launches and satellite camera footage, plus Blue Origin testing, rollout, and fairing re-entry footage.
• ▶ 19:47 Artemis, Soyuz-5, and Outro (19:47 - 24:34) - - NASA Artemis III communications updates, Artemis II image dump, Soyuz-5 maiden flight, and the host’s closing outro.