I'm obviously no expert here but that kind of machinery can't be that different/any more difficult than designing and building Raptors, right? Is SpaceX about to bring that capability into the vertical integration stack?

Quite a bit harder, imo. Or hard in a different way. Reliability is extremely hard on you, statistically, and validation takes time. There's a lot of deep experience for basis of design at the oems for what works/doesnt, materials, etc. I doubt spacex wants to do it, but I'm sure they will if they have to.

Interesting. Kind of like "We don't want to make an X phone, but we will if we have to."

It jumped out at me watching the reveal video, but here is a screenshot in this tweet showing a planned 3 aisle Gigabay. This would bring their build and servicing bay count to 84 after demolition of the Megabays.


*Assuming they demo the Megabays and that this building has the same 6 bay deep aisles.
*tweet removed for TexAgs unapproved language.

nortex97 said:

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For posterity I'd just note the irony of this competing with 'Microsoft' via 'Macrohard'.

Among other ironies.

Splitting the Macrohard/Macroharder cluster across the TN-MS border enables regulatory arbitrage. Compute sits in Tennessee while power generation (dozens of gas turbines) is in Mississippi. MS offered faster temporary permits under mobile-source exemptions, lower data-center…

— Grok (@grok) August 17, 2026

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This stuff happens all the time. American Airlines has two maintenance hangars at DFW, one in Tarrant County and one in Dallas County. They stock parts depending on which county it's cheaper to store them in as inventory based on regulations and tax code differences from county to county.

Soon.

Almost action time! pic.twitter.com/wkC4pPNfIp

— BushBindi (@BindiBush) August 26, 2026

bthotugigem05 said:

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nortex97 said:

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For posterity I'd just note the irony of this competing with 'Microsoft' via 'Macrohard'.

Among other ironies.

Splitting the Macrohard/Macroharder cluster across the TN-MS border enables regulatory arbitrage. Compute sits in Tennessee while power generation (dozens of gas turbines) is in Mississippi. MS offered faster temporary permits under mobile-source exemptions, lower data-center…

— Grok (@grok) August 17, 2026

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This stuff happens all the time. American Airlines has two maintenance hangars at DFW, one in Tarrant County and one in Dallas County. They stock parts depending on which county it's cheaper to store them in as inventory based on regulations and tax code differences from county to county.

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I think it's urban legend, but Fords Willow Run bomber plant had a 90 degree turn. The legend was too avoid crossing a county line, but it was actually the only way to expand and still have it end in the taxiway/ runway

Aww yea! Chatting with Chris Bray here, and would you look at this. SpaceX's Ship 40 is about to be loaded on board FORTE. Wow, it looks so small! 🤯

Make sure you follow Chris here because it has been a fun day so far. More to come. 🫶https://t.co/H4M9h14Wh0 pic.twitter.com/cRXKiXu8Kk

— Marcus House (@MarcusHouse) August 26, 2026

One of the benefits there at Christmas Island is how steep the ocean bottom is just offshore. There is virtually no beach right there and as you can see in the photos, it gets quite deep just offshore. So they can operate just offshore in the lee of the island and still have the water depth necessary for this operation.

Based on Sal's comments over at What's Going On With Shipping, those heavy lift ships go through a fairly marginal stability regime as they ballast down so dead or nearly dead calm seas is a must.

normaleagle05 said:

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It jumped out at me watching the reveal video, but here is a screenshot in this tweet showing a planned 3 aisle Gigabay. This would bring their build and servicing bay count to 84 after demolition of the Megabays.


*Assuming they demo the Megabays and that this building has the same 6 bay deep aisles.
*tweet removed for TexAgs unapproved language.

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Member when they used to build in tents? I member

Special Delivery! The Starbase Police Cybertrucks have arrived! 📐🚀 pic.twitter.com/5Y57fLpXYN

— Amy Doehring (@mymatrixplug) August 26, 2026

Autonomous pit maneuver of your future.

I'm amused that they couldn't come up with a better name than "Starbase, LA"

Flying Corndogs, LA

Naming consistency allows you to demonstrate a difference in competence more easily. If every Starbase, USA looks better than every other city then that's a demonstration that competence not promises is important.

Booster 21 scrubbed its static fire yesterday. I assume they will try again today.

PJYoung said:

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Booster 21 scrubbed its static fire yesterday. I assume they will try again today.

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Window opens at 6:30 am CST.

Falcon Heavy in the hangar at pad 39A in Florida ahead of Sunday’s launch of @NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope pic.twitter.com/Dvu5XnVxKX

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 26, 2026

Not space, but awesome photos.

When the atmosphere is JUSSSSSST right and you get a vapor cone AND shockwaves...well thats a win in my book!

Also, I'm pretty sure I was on the verge of heat stroke out on the flightline today pic.twitter.com/IVxLavufUH

— JK Adams (@jkadamsphoto) August 26, 2026

hph6203 said:

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Naming consistency allows you to demonstrate a difference in competence more easily. If every Starbase, USA looks better than every other city then that's a demonstration that competence not promises is important.

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As a networking guy I strongly disagree. Name things intelligently and uniquely. Every time someone at SpaceX has to ask "Starbase LA or Starbase TX" you've wasted time and money. It seems like nothing until you send a BOM to the wrong site or even worse, a damn rocket...

Two main parallel thoroughfares in Plano that are adjacent to one another are named "Park" and "Parker", and it's the most annoying thing ever.

Don't forget Park Lane and Park Blvd in Dallas, or Houston having seven Main Streets, none of which connect

I'll see that and raise you the brilliant, individuals from Georgia who feel the need to take a road that changes names multiple times. We are talking the same damn road.

Sea Speed said:

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Against all odds SpaceX continues to find more hot humid remote places to make its employees work

— Pintle (@pintleinjector) August 25, 2026

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That guy is a pansy! Its awesome around her mid October to June!

double aught said:

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Two main parallel thoroughfares in Plano that are adjacent to one another are named "Park" and "Parker", and it's the most annoying thing ever.

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That's only half of it, the roads are Plano parkway, Park, and Parker. They all cross dallas parkway of course.

jeremy said:

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Sea Speed said:

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Against all odds SpaceX continues to find more hot humid remote places to make its employees work

— Pintle (@pintleinjector) August 25, 2026

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That guy is a pansy! Its awesome around her mid October to June!

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And Brownsville is fantastic from November through February.

And then Plano Parkway crosses Park and Parker.

Can't tell you how many times I've ordered something and it ended up in Georgia instead of Texas. Total pain in the ass.

It's none. None times.

double aught said:

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Two main parallel thoroughfares in Plano that are adjacent to one another are named "Park" and "Parker", and it's the most annoying thing ever.

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Don't get me started on CSTAT copying Bryan's Midtown concept.

The fascists are waving flags again.

SpaceX engineers spent several days inspecting Ship 40 in the waters off Christmas Island. They collected heatshield samples and gained vital insight into how the vehicle handled reentry with improvements now planned on future vehicles pic.twitter.com/8NWXpmhlLi

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 27, 2026

She's coming home!

Starship has now been loaded onto a semi-submersible ship to begin the several month journey back to Starbase. Congratulations to the entire SpaceX Recovery team for battling through challenging conditions to give our engineers access to a wealth of data to continue rapidly… pic.twitter.com/YSWcJvfIwz

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 27, 2026