Infrastructure
Pads, towers & chopsticks
The ground systems that make rapid reuse possible: the Pad 2 upgrades, the rebuilt Pad 1, Florida's LC-39A and the push from 25 to 456 launches a year.
Pad 2 upgrades
The new chopsticks
Shorter arms
Two full truss sections removed for quicker movement. Earlier boosters were caught on the inner part of the arms, so the extra length was not needed.
Electromechanical
The arm actuators switched from hydraulic to electromechanical systems.
Catch geometry
Stabilizer arms reach further to clear a ship's aft flaps, and landing rails match V3 catch-pin geometry. Ship lifting pins are gone.
Tower & pad
Redesigned ship quick-disconnect arm, new deluge system, and tidier internal plumbing for propellant, pressure and power lines.
Timeline