At the Cape Canaveral spaceport in Florida, the erection of the Mechazilla launch tower for SpaceX’s colossal Starship rocket has commenced.
A Liebherr LR13000 crawler crane was instrumental in lifting the initial segment of nine modules that will comprise the future tower. Renowned as the world’s most potent crawler crane of conventional lattice-boom design, the Liebherr LR13000 is manufactured by the German conglomerate Liebherr and possesses the capability to handle loads up to 3,000 tons.
These construction efforts are taking place at the historic Launch Complex 37, a site previously utilized for Saturn IB launches during the Apollo missions and, subsequently, for Delta IV launch vehicles.
The site is currently undergoing reconfiguration to accommodate two Starship launch pads. Projections indicate these pads will support as many as 76 launches annually, catering to both U.S. national security requirements and NASA’s Artemis program. SpaceX has secured approval for the complex’s use and is actively engaged in construction activities.
Previously, the RGV Aerial Photography channel shared an installment of their “Starbase Weekly” video series, which chronicles the ongoing transformations at the spaceport.
Reports have also indicated that SpaceX is continuing to refine the Mechazilla system, specifically focusing on the massive mechanical “chopsticks” integrated into the launch towers at the Starbase launch site.
Mere weeks following the successful twelfth flight of Starship, the subsequent booster, Super Heavy Booster 20, has been rolled out to the Massey’s test stand for ongoing trials.
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