SpaceX floating launch platform

SpaceX's floating launch platforms are modified oil rigs now under construction to use in the 2020s to provide a sea launch option for their second-generation launch vehicle: the heavy-lift Starship system, consisting of the Super Heavy booster and Starship second stage.

For the Falcon 9/Heavy landing platforms, see Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship. For a sea-based launch platform in general, see Floating launch platform.
SpaceX floating launch platform
ENSCO/Valaris 8506, very similar to the models acquired by SpaceX
Location
OperatorSpaceX
Deimos launch history
StatusUnder Construction
Phobos launch history
StatusUnder Construction

SpaceX has purchased two deepwater oil rigs, for Starship launches, and both platforms are undergoing refit for their new role.

History

Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, first showed offshore launch and landing platforms for Starship in a 2017 animation of the Earth-to-Earth passenger-carrying use case.[1][2] More recently, Musk clarified in June 2020 that offshore platforms would be used both for launches into space and for the more long-term Earth-to-Earth transportation.[1][3][4]

In July 2020, Lone Star Mineral Development LLC, a subsidiary of SpaceX, bought two semi-submersible drilling rigs from Valaris plc for US$3.5 million each. They were renamed Deimos and Phobos after the two moons of Mars. The drilling platforms had previously been named ENSCO/Valaris 8500 and 8501, respectively, and are nearly identical.[2][5]

In January 2021, Phobos was moved from the Port of Galveston to Pascagoula, Mississippi to continue refitting the rig for Starship operations.[6] As of January 2021, refit is also underway on Deimos, at the Port of Brownsville.[2][5]

Characteristics

Both vessels have a main deck dimension of 240 ft (73 m) by 255 ft (78 m). They are designed to operate in ocean depths as great as 8,500 ft (2,600 m), and when previously configured as drilling rigs, had living quarters for 150 people.[7] Each of the oil rigs are equipped with two Seatrax S90 cranes, which matches SpaceX's job listings.[2]

See also

References
  1. Mosher, Dave (16 June 2020). "Elon Musk: 'SpaceX is building floating, superheavy-class spaceports' for its Starship rocket to reach the moon, Mars, and fly passengers around Earth". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  2. Burghardt, Thomas (19 January 2021). "SpaceX acquires former oil rigs to serve as floating Starship spaceports". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  3. Sheetz, Michael (1 September 2020). "Elon Musk says SpaceX's Starship rocket will launch "hundreds of missions" before flying people". CNBC. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  4. @elonmusk (16 June 2020). "SpaceX is building floating, superheavy-class spaceports for Mars, moon & hypersonic travel around Earth" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. Sheetz, Michael (19 January 2021). "SpaceX bought two former Valaris oil rigs to build floating launchpads for its Starship rocket". CNBC. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  6. @nextspaceflight (22 January 2021). "SpaceX's newly acquired oilrig "Phobos" is arriving in Pascagoula, Mississippi ahead of conversion to support Starship operations" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. "ENSCO 8500 Series® Ultra-Deepwater Semisubmersibles" (PDF). Ensco plc. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
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