Ship 26 (S26)

Ship 26 during its single engine static fire (Credit: SpaceX)

Ship 26 is an expendable ship prototype. It can carry approximately 200-250 tons to low earth orbit however unlike most earlier Starships, it lacks heat shield tiles, a payload bay and fins. It is currently located at the Rocket Garden after being used to demonstrate a de-orbit like burn and has had external stringers placed around the payload bay. A third row of stringers is currently being installed above the initital two rows, which are now being welded on. There is speculation that this may have something to do with the tanker or Human Landing System (HLS) version of Starship but little is know at this time.

Ship 26 sometime around the 24th of January 2024 with 3 rows of stringers installed.
Ship 26 is not to be confused with the test tank S26.1.

## History

Stacking of Ship 26 began around October 2022 and was completed by around December 2022. In Febuary 2023, Ship 26 completed 2 cryogenic proof tests and around March 2023, Ship 26 began engine installation. Ship 26 was located at the Rocket Garden until, on the 7th of September 2023, it was moved onto pad B at the suborbital launch site, where it completed a cryogenic test, a preburner test and a single engine static fire. It was then moved back to the Rocket Garden on the 27th of October 2023. On the 10th of January S26 was lifted onto the engine installation stand however no engine work appears to have taken place.

The single engine static fire was said by SpaceX to be demonsrating the kind of burn required to de-orbit a starship.

## Timeline

Click to view the timeline:

* 11 May 2022: S26 aft dome spotted in front of tents; *S26 quad for payload bay/nosecone barrel section spotted (it's still a quad, extra ring will be welded on top inside the high bay), moved into high bay 1;* S26 aft dome sleeve (4-ring) spotted outside the tents, flipped; S26 aft dome lifted onto sleeving stand.
* 05 August 2022: S26 common dome section flipped; after being sleeved on sleeving stand; S26 fwd dome sleeve moved.
* 16 August 2022: S26 payload bay section spotted.
* 22 August 2022: S26 quad section spotted outside tent.
* 24 August 2022: S26 payload section outside tents.
* 14 September 2022: S26 nosecone [old S27 nosecone] spotted in front of tents, moved later to the other side of the bay/tent area.
* 15 September 2022: S26 nosecone outside high bay (no tiles); later moved back to the windbreak again and connected to load spreader; lifted into windbreak.
* 18 September 2022: S26 nosecone moved in front of high bay again.
* 21 September 2022: S26 nosecone and barrel section outside tents.
* 22 September 2022: S26 nosecone left ring yard for second time.
* 27 September 2022: S26 nosecone moved to high bay.
* 28 September 2022: S26 payload bay section moved onto robotic welding station in high bay; no pez dispenser installed or a door cut out; S26 nosecone moved into high bay (again), moved back out of high bay again.
* 01 October 2022: S26 nosecone moved back into high bay.
* 04 October 2022: S26 nosecone lifted onto its barrel section on the turntable in high bay.
* 09 October 2022: S26 nosecone moved from High bay to mid bay.
* 11 October 2022: S26 cmn dome section moved into high bay, mdilox attached below cmn dome section, lifted onto turntable in high bay.
* 19 October 2022: S26 fwd dome section moved into high bay.
* 20 October 2022: S26 nosecone (incl barrel) moved into high bay; S26 LOX tank removed from turn table in high bay, moved to mid bay.
* 21 October 2022: S26 nosecone lifted into high bay, stacked onto fwd dome.
* 25 October 2022: S26 Nosecone worked on in high bay, lifted off turn table.
* 26 October 2022: S26 nosecone moved out of high bay into mid bay.
* 29 October 2022: S26 thrust section moved into high bay for stacking.
* 01 November 2022: S26 midlox and cmn dome stack moved out of mid bay to high bay; S26 cmn dome + mid LOX section lifted onto aft section in high bay at 19:04; McGregor: Raptor engine tested on tripod stand.
* 04 November 2022: S26 transfer tube installed in high bay.
* 16 December 2022: S26 final stacking: nosecone stacked on tank section.
* 03 January 2023: S26, fully stacked, moved off the turntable inside high bay.
* 11 February 2023: S26 rolled out to launch site.
* 12 February 2023: S26 connected to load spreader; Ship QD attached to S26 on pad A.
* 13 February 2023: Marvin crane LR11000X detached from S26 after 7am.
* 21 February 2023: S26 Cryo Proof Test.
* 28 February 2023: S26 lifted off SoLS Pad A by LR11000X; S26 lifting squid removed, LR11000X disconnected; S26 moved to launch site.
* 09 March 2023: S26 inspected / worked on at production site.
* 19 March 2023: S26 moved out of high bay at 23:30, arrived at rocket garden at 23:48, possibly to be lifted onto the new higher ship stand.
* 20 March 2023: S26 attached to new LR1750 crane at rocket garden.
* 25 March 2023: S26 lifted at rocket garden; placed on the new stand at around 1:52.
* 27 March 2023: S26 moved from high bay to rocket garden, readied for lifting it on tall stand; S26 still attached to crane; preparations for engine installation with lift platform moved under it; RVac SN205 under S26 for installation.
* 29 March 2023: S26 second (SN212) and third Rvac engine moved for installation.
* 31 March 2023: S26 first raptor center installed, also first electric TVC Raptor to be installed on a ship.
* 01 April 2023: One Raptor engine moved to rocket garden, possibly for installation on S26.
* 27 July 2023: S26 attached to LR1750 at 4:08 am; S26 removed from engine install stand, placed onto a transport stand at rocket garden.
* 06 September 2023: Ship lifting squib delivered to launch site early morning and Maarvin crane moved back over near Pad B for possible S26 stacking; Intermittent RC scheduled for September 07 10am-12pm, likely for S26 roll-out.
* 07 September 2023: S26 rolled out to launch site; S26 connected to LR11000X; S26 lifted onto SoLS Pad B by LR11000X.
* 08 September 2023: LR11000 detached from S26.
* 27 September 2023: S26 transport stand left launch site, headed to remedios avenue.
* 05 October 2023: S26 destacked from LR11000 at 11:28.
* 12 October 2023: S26 has been disconnected from the crane at Suborbital Pad B.
* 18 October 2023: S26 pre burner test.
* 20 October 2023: **S26 performs its first static fire with 1 engine.**
* 26 October 2023: S26 lifted off Pad B.
* 27 October 2023: Ship 26 returned to rocket garden, and was placed in between Booster 4 and Ship 29.
* 10 January 2024: S26 lifted onto the engine installation stand in sanchez

## Testing Timeline

Overview, without full stack tests:

 27 February 2023
 09 October 2023
 18 October 2023
 20 October 2023

### 11-12 February 2023 - Roll out and Lift

Today, SpaceX lifted Ship 26 onto pad A at the suborbital launch site for testing. Timeline according to LabPadre discord:

* 18:58 S26 detached from high bay crane
* 22:28 S26 left high bay
* 23:51 S26 entered Hwy 4
* 01:37 Arrived at launch site
* 05:48 LR11000X crane attached to S26
* 08:46 Lift by LR11000X started
* 09:11 Touched down on pad A
* 13:55 Ship QD attached to S26

### 21 February 2023 - Cryo Proof Test.

Cryo test of both tanks, but neither was fully filled. Timeline according to LabPadre and NSF streams:

* 08:00 Road closed
* 08:35 Pad cleared
* 09:14 Minor SoLS tank farm venting
* 09:51 Huge grass vent and increase in tank farm activity
* 10:09 Tank farm activity less strong, Pad venting has started
* 10:26 LOX tank frost ring started to form
* 10:33 Drone inspection
* 10:48 Frost one ring high
* 11:11 Frost two rings high
* 11:32 Frost three rings high
* 11:47 Frost stopped to rise at about 3 and 2/3 rings
* 12:02 Robodog spotted
* 12:16 Depress vent for about 10 seconds; rest of tank slowly getting frosty
* 13:48 CH4 tank frost line started to form
* 14:08/09 Depress vents, frost stopped around two thirds of a ring, condensation on rest of tank started to form
* 14:14 Tank farm activity spooled up
* 14:20 Condensation on both tank began decreasing
* 15:15 CH4 frost disappeared
* 16:00 LOX frost disappeared
* 16:51 Road opened

### 27 February 2023 - Cryo Proof Test

Minor cryogenic test of the LOX tank. Timeline according to LabPadre streams:

* 07:57 Road closed
* 08:16 Pad cleared
* 09:57 SoLS tank farm spooled up, major venting started
* 09:59 Grass vent
* 10:22 Tank farm venting decreased
* 10:30 Tank farm venting increased again
* 10:33 LOX tank frost line started to form
* 10:43 Frost stopped increasing further, only 1/3 of a ring high
* 10:49 Tank farm venting decreased
* 11:00-11:10 Frost increased slightly to around 1/2 ring
* 11:29, 31 Depress vents, frost decreasing
* 12:07 Grass vent started
* 12:20 Frost nearly copletely disappeared
* 13:05 Sheriff to pad
* 13:08 Road opened

### 07 September 2023 - Roll Out and Lift

On 07 September 2023, SpaceX rolled out S26 and lifted it onto SoLS Pad B, possibly to start the static fire test campaign. Timeline according to LabPadre discord:

* 09:44 S26 started moving at Rocket Garden
* 10:10 Entered Hwy 4
* 11:23 Arrived at launch site
* 12:12 Attached to LR11000X
* 18:02 Lift complete

### 09 October 2023 - Cryo Proof Test

On 09 October 2023, Ship 26 conducted a small Cryo Proof test. Only its LOX tank and header tank was filled with propelant. Timeline according to LabPadre discord:

* 08:25 Road closed
* 09:43 Pad clear
* 12:21 Suborbital Tank Farm venting
* 12:34 LOX loading started
* 13:02 Frost starting to form on Ship 26
* 13:37 Depress vent
* 13:39 frost on header tank
* 14:46 Ship 26 detanked
* 15:37 Cars returning to launch site
* 15:39 Road open

### 18 October 2023 - Preburner Test

On 18 October 2023, Ship 26 conducted a Preburner test of a single engine. It is believed to be a Sea level engine. It is notable for SpaceX to conduct a Preburner test with S26 as it the first of such a test in a long time (S20 in 2021). This also comes with S26 being of different build than previous prototypes. Timeline according to NSF stream and LabPadre discord:

* 12:19 Road closed
* 13:21 Pad clear
* 15:03 Suborbital Tank Farm starting up
* 15:18 LOX loading started
* 15:20 Engine Chill venting
* 15:42 Frost line on LOX tank spotted
* 16:15 Long vent from LOX tank
* 16:17 Frost on header tank spotted
* **16:21:12 Single Engine Preburner**
* 16:35 Detanking started
* 17:50 Ship 26 fully detanked
* 18:21 Road open

### 20 October 2023 - Static Fire

On 18 October 2023, Ship 26 conducted a single engine Static fire test utilizing the same engine used in the preburner test 2 days prior. SpaceX said on X that it was an: "Single engine static fire demonstrating flight-like startup for a Starship deorbit burn". Timeline according to LabPadre and RGV discord:

* 12:06 Road closed
* 13:11 Pad clear
* 14:13 Suborbital Tank Farm active
* 14:26 Condensation on LOX tank, indicating that LOX loading has started
* 14:58 Frost line on LOX tank spotted
* **15:36:03 Single Engine Static Fire**
* 15:45 Detanking started
* 17:38 Road open
* 19:24 Igniter test 1
* 19:40 Igniter test 2

### 26/27 October - Lift and Roll out

On 27 October 2023, Ship 26 was rolled back to the rocket garden after completing a single engine static fire. Timeline according to LabPadre and RGV discord:

* 22:24 S26 lifted off Suborbital pad B and placed on a transport stand
* 07:39 Moved to the launch site gate
* 14:00 Rolling out of the launch site to the rocket garden
* 15:57 S26 arrived at the rocket garden

## References

1. ↑ https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1715518177508282454
2. ↑ https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1715518177508282454