Reported by Chris Bergin - NSF @NASASpaceflight on Xitter, video at Sep 6, 2023 · 10:32 PM UTC

Here comes the first section of the new Crew Tower for SLC-40! Initially will be used for Cargo Dragon launches from SLC-40, but eventually also for crew. It adds redundancy to 39A.

nsf.live/spacecoast

then this video

Tower on the loose at KSC!

then this video

Passing the grown-up Towers.

then this video

SLC-40 Tower section passing 39A’s historic FSS and the new Starship Tower.

  • threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.worksMEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Is the new SLC-40 tower intended to be another Starship-capable Mechazilla in the long-term, or is it more like the existing crew Dragon tower at 39A?

    • pigeonberry@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      I got the impression from reading the few posts about it that it’s going to start as a backup for the existing crew Dragon tower. Whether it could ever become Son of Mechazilla in the long run I don’t know, and I doubt it. I suspect, though on no evidence other than prior practice and the 5-step algorithm, that SpaceX would rather debug the first model some before building a second.