The video explains that the “mystery pipes” on Ship 39 are propellant feed lines for newly‑visible downward‑facing RCS thrusters in the aft‑flap hinge area, giving Starship Version 3 the precise translation capability needed for orbital refueling and docking. The Version 3 stack—Booster 19 and Ship 39—features 50 % larger grid fins, a cleaner, more refined heat‑shield that leaves the Raptor 3 engines mostly exposed, and a successful 33‑engine static fire on May 6. After rolling Ship 39 to the pad and stacking it with the booster, SpaceX attempted a wet‑dress rehearsal that was scrubbed on Saturday, with repairs made on Sunday; Flight 12 is now targeted for no earlier than May 15, pending the rehearsal outcome.
In parallel, NASA’s Artemis 3 preparations are advancing. An RFI for a high‑speed communication system (desiring steerable or wide‑field antennas and live 4K video) has defined the mission orbit as a circular low‑Earth orbit at ~460 km altitude and 33° inclination—just above the ISS. This LEO choice lets both SpaceX’s Starship HLS and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon landers reach orbit without needing in‑orbit refueling for Artemis 3, simplifying the lander development schedule while refueling remains required for later Artemis flights. Orion’s heat shield has been revised to fix gas‑venting issues seen on Artemis 1, and the SLS assembly is proceeding on schedule. Blue Origin’s uncrewed Blue Moon Mark 1 (“Endurance”) has completed thermal‑vacuum testing, but its New Glenn launch vehicle remains grounded after an upper‑stage failure, while SpaceX continues to work toward a crewed Starship lander, using Flight 12 to test the Version 3 refueling hardware before a lunar mission.
1. On May 6, Booster 19 ignited all 33 Raptor 3 engines on pad 2 for a full‑duration static fire lasting about 15 seconds with no abort.
2. Prior to the static fire, SpaceX tested the new version 3 Super Heavy grid fins on Booster 19.
3. The version 3 grid fins are 50 % larger than the previous design, measuring approximately 7.5 m tall and 3.75 m wide.
4. Each version 3 grid fin weighs about 3 metric tons despite the size increase.
5. Ship 39 was rolled from Mega Bay 2 to the launch site, marking the first time a version‑3 booster and a version‑3 ship were present at the same site simultaneously.
6. The mystery pipes in Ship 39’s aft section are propellant feed lines for downward‑facing RCS thruster assemblies, one on each side of the aft flap hinges.
7. These downward‑facing RCS thrusters are intended to provide precise translation maneuvers for orbital refueling and docking.
8. Ship 39’s version‑3 heat shield leaves the Raptor 3 engines mostly exposed; thermal protection covers only the most heat‑sensitive areas (TVC actuators and turbo pumps).
9. The Raptor 3 engines attach directly to the heat shield underneath, exposed, reducing mass and simplifying maintenance compared to version 2.
10. The version‑3 Starship stack differs visually from the version‑2 stack, reflecting a ground‑up redesign.
11. SpaceX designed the version‑3 rocket and its associated ground‑support equipment from scratch.
12. SpaceX conducted a wet dress rehearsal for flight 12; the first attempt was scrubbed before propellant loading began.
13. After the scrub, Sunday was used for fixing issues, with the next test opportunity on Monday May 11.
14. Flight 12 is currently scheduled no earlier than May 15, pending the outcome of the wet dress rehearsal.
15. NASA’s Artemis 3 RFI for a high‑speed communication system specifies a circular orbit at ~460 km altitude with a 33° inclination (low Earth orbit).
16. The Artemis 3 mission plan, based on that orbit, does not include a trans‑lunar injection burn and may not require SLS’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage.
17. Placing Artemis 3 in low Earth orbit allows both SpaceX’s Starship HLS and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander to reach the orbit without in‑orbit refueling.
18. Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 (named Endurance) completed thermal‑vacuum testing at Johnson Space Center on May 4 and is now at Kennedy Space Center’s Luna Plant 1.
19. Endurance still needs a wet‑dress rehearsal with cryogenic propellants before integration into a New Glenn fairing for lunar transit.
20. New Glenn remains grounded after an upper‑stage malfunction on the NG3 mission; the investigation timeline is unclear.
21. The Orion capsule’s Artemis 3 heat shield incorporates design changes to address gas‑venting issues observed on Artemis 1.
22. All 186 FCODE blocks of the Orion Artemis 3 heat shield have been installed, cured, and inspected; thermal‑cycle and ultrasonic inspections are completed.
23. SLS assembly for Artemis 3 is underway.