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SpaceX completes first Mechazilla tower at Cape Canaveral
SpaceX has completed the ninth and final module of its first Mechazilla tower at Cape Canaveral’s LC-37A Starship launch complex.
Image: iXBT
SpaceX has completed the main vertical assembly of the first Mechazilla launch tower at Cape Canaveral’s LC-37A complex, bringing the new Starship launch site closer to operational readiness.
Julia Bergeron published a photograph of the completed structure at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. She said construction crews installed the ninth and final module, confirming the end of the tower’s primary vertical assembly. The structure has now reached its planned height.
Mechazilla equipment still to come
Construction of the giant Mechazilla tower began earlier at the spaceport for SpaceX’s Starship system. Crews used the German-built Liebherr LR 13000, described as the world’s most powerful crawler crane, with a lifting capacity of up to 3,000 tons.
The next phase will add the tower’s mechanical “chopsticks,” along with rocket-service systems and other equipment required for Starship tests and launches. Completing the tower is a key preparation milestone for the LC-37A complex.
Elon Musk previously said SpaceX plans to make its first attempt to catch Starship’s upper-stage Ship with Mechazilla’s mechanical arms during the vehicle’s next flight. SpaceX has also published photographs taken during the transport system’s 13th test flight.
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Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via iXBT
