Mega Bay 1 (MB1) at Starbase serves as the current location for Super Heavy Booster assembly, including stacking operations and engine installation.
It features a larger base area than High Bay and is slightly taller allowing for easier access to work on vehicles and the capability to relocate boosters without the need to displace other boosters. There is also office space at the top of Mega Bay 1.
Mega Bay 1 features two turntables in the front corners, which are used to stack vehicles by rotating the stack along a robotic welder inside the bay. Then, on the back side of the bay, there are work platforms that allow for engine installation and other work. Booster 14(B14) is currently located on the back right work stand following its succesful catch and Booster 15 (B15) is currently located on the back left work stand. Booster 17 (B17) is undergoing stacking here as well on the front left turntable, with Booster 16 (B16) located on the opposite side.
History[]
Originally, prior to a tweet by Elon Musk referring to this facility as Mega Bay[1], the community used to refer to it as "Wide Bay". However, it is worth also noting that official documents from the FCC designate this facility as High Bay 2[2]. The difference between Elon Musk's chosen name and the FCC documents created a discrepancy in the nomenclature, leading to some disagreement regarding the facility's proper name but generally Mega Bay was the accepted name at this time.
However as the construction of a second facility of similar size to Mega Bay commenced, a shift in naming occurred. The facility that was initially referred to as Mega Bay became known as Mega Bay 1, while the newly constructed facility was designated as Mega Bay 2 by the community but many people still refer to the first Mega Bay as just simply Mega Bay. There is no definite right or wrong name.
Timeline[]
- 19 Aug 2021: Outline of High Bay visible [RGV]
- 20 Aug 2021: Concrete north of High Bay broken up, presumably for Mega Bay ("Super High Bay")
- 21 Aug 2021: More concrete torn out for Mega Bay foundation
- 24 Aug 2021: Work on Mega Bay "super hb" foundation continued
- 26 Aug 2021: Mega Bay: Earth work continued for foundation
- 01 Sep 2021: Foundation work for Wide High Bay continued
- 02 Sep 2021: Foundation/earth work for Mega Bay continued
- 03 Sep 2021: Foundation and earth work for Mega Bay continued
- 04 Sep 2021: Foundation/earth work for Mega Bay continued
- 06 Sep 2021: Foundation/earth work for , Mega Bay continued
- 07 Sep 2021: Foundation/earth work for Mega Bay continued
- 08 Sep 2021: Foundation work for Mega Bay continued
- 09 Sep 2021: Foundation work for Mega Bay continued; rebar being laid and concrete poured; in the background SN6 aft dome (4-ring barrel section with dome) lied around and being scrapped, looking very damaged
- 10 Sep 2021: Foundation and earth work (excavations) for Mega Bay continued
- 11 Sep 2021: Foundation work for Mega Bay continued
- 14 Sep 2021: Foundation work for Mega Bay continued
- 15 Sep 2021: Foundation work for Mega Bay continued; much rebar and concrete plates prepared
- 16 Sep 2021: Foundation work for Mega Bay continued
- 18 Sep 2021: Concrete poured for Mega Bay
- 20 Sep 2021: Foundation work for Mega Bay continued, SN17 aft section (with thrust dome & thrust puck from inside) visible at scrapyard
- 22 Sep 2021: Foundation work for Mega Bay continued
- 23 Sep 2021: Foundation work for Wide High Bay continued, rebar laid
- 27 Sep 2021: Wide High Bay foundation work continued
- 28 Sep 2021: Wide High Bay "Wide Bay" foundation work continued; concrete poured
- 02 Oct 2021: Concrete forms used for Mega Bay/Wide Bay shown
- 05 Oct 2021: Wide Bay work continued with concrete poured into place for foundation
- 06 Oct 2021: Wide Bay foundation work continued
- 07 Oct 2021: Concrete forms for Wide Bay delivered
- 07 Oct 2021: Wide Bay foundation work continued
- 08 Oct 2021: Wide Bay foundation work continued, pins/points for columns spotted
- 09 Oct 2021: Wide Bay foundation work continued
- 11 Oct 2021: Wide Bay foundation work continued
- 12 Oct 2021: Wide Bay foundation work continued; blue crane on the site
- 14 Oct 2021: I beams unloaded from a flatbed near Wide Bay foundation
- 15 Oct 2021: Wide Bay foundation work continued, many I beams ready and moved around
- 18 Oct 2021: PBI Manitowoc 12000 being readied at the Wide Bay area, another white-blue crane already there
- 20 Oct 2021: Wide Bay construction; beam attached to white/blue Atlas crane (PBI)
- 21 Oct 2021: Wide Bay: beams prepared/rigged for assembly
- 22 Oct 2021: First structural beam lifted
- 23 Oct 2021: Wide Bay construction work has continued
- 25 Oct 2021: Crane rigged for Wide Bay beams (yellow bigge crane)
- 25 Oct 2021: More beams lifted
- 26 Oct 2021: Construction work continued, parts (beams) delivered
- 27 Oct 2021: Beams continued to be delivered
- 28 Oct 2021: Wide Bay beams unloaded; at least 5 beams now errected
- 28 Oct 2021: More beams lifted, cross-beams began to be added
- 29 Oct 2021: Wide Bay construction picking up the pace, more beams lifted into place
- 01 Nov 2021: Construction work continued; more beams delivered
- 02 Nov 2021: More beams added
- 03 Nov 2021: Construction work continued; more vertical beams (likely for wall attachment) added; first outwards facing beams for (similar to High Bay) added
- 05 Nov 2021: Construction work continued
- 06 Nov 2021: Construction work continued
- 08 Nov 2021: Construction work continued; first two levels nearing completion
- 09 Nov 2021: LR11000 (Buckner) assembly at production site near Wide Bay
- 09 Nov 2021: Construction work continued
- 10 Nov 2021: Work continued
- 11 Nov 2021: Work continued; LR11000 is inside it
- 14 Nov 2021: Work on LR11000 boom top
- 15 Nov 2021: Construction work continued
- 15 Nov 2021: Small pipes and rebar delivered to production site; as well as several trucks with beams [possibly for Wide Bay]
- 16 Nov 2021: Construction continued
- 17 Nov 2021: Construction work continued; more beams delivered
- 17 Nov 2021: Deliveries to production site (some sort of pistons, I-beams for Wide Bay)
- 18 Nov 2021: Beams accidentally delivered to launch site
- 18 Nov 2021: More Wide Bay beams delivered to production site
- 19 Nov 2021: Construction work continued
- 20 Nov 2021: Work continued; some beams being preassembled before lifting
- 22 Nov 2021: Work continued (third level installation hasn't begun yet); beams on ground being worked on
- 23 Nov 2021: Work continued; Bigge crane has been lowered, now lifted again; several beam parts being assembled on ground; many more beams delivered
- 29 Nov 2021: Construction continued; small vertical beam installation began
- 30 Nov 2021: Wide Bay beams assembly for level 3&4 continued; level 1&2 installation of small vertical beams continued; progress after some sort of a pause
- 01 Dec 2021: Work continued (level 1&2 vertical beams, level 3&4 preassembly)
- 02 Dec 2021: Construction work continued
- 02 Dec 2021: Beams delivered to PPS/Production site
- 03 Dec 2021: Panels being added to Wide Bay (RGV); level 3&4 work continued (preassembly); more beams delivered
- 04 Dec 2021: Level 3&4 preassembly work as well as level 1&2 panels continued to be added
- 06 Dec 2021: Construction work continued: panels added on level 1, level 3&4 cross wall segments nearly fully added
- 06 Dec 2021: Beams and parts delivered
- 07 Dec 2021: Work continued
- 08 Dec 2021: B6 test tank work near Wide Bay construction site
- 08 Dec 2021: Work continued; panels being installed on level 3&4 (preassembly)
- 09 Dec 2021: Construction work continued
- 10 Dec 2021: Construction work continued
- 11 Dec 2021: Level 3&4 work continued
- 13 Dec 2021: Finished corner segment of level 3&4 lifted by LR11000 and installed
- 14 Dec 2021: LR11000 disconnected from Wide Bay segment that has been installed yesterday; hooked to another corner segemtn of level 3&4 that has been finished; screws tightened; beams delivered
- 15 Dec 2021: Level 3&4 section moved by LR11000
- 16 Dec 2021: Wide Bay: second corner segment of level 3&4 lifted by LR11000 and installed and later disconnected; beams added between the two corner segments; third corner segment attached to LR11000 and lifted later
- 17 Dec 2021: PBI crane lowered and rose again near Wide Bay
- 17 Dec 2021: Work continued; beams added between the ly added segments, finishing work on fourth corner segment of level 3&4 on ground
- 18 Dec 2021: Fourth level 3&4 corner segment attached an lifted by LR11000 and installed
- 20 Dec 2021: Construction continued; level 2 wall covers continued to be added; work on completing beam structure on level 3&4
- 21 Dec 2021: Work continued
- 22 Dec 2021: Level 5&6 first corner section preassembly on its way
- 23 Dec 2021: Level 5&6 preassembly continued
- 27 Dec 2021: Parts and beams delivered; construction work continued (preassembly of level 5&6 under way)
- 28 Dec 2021: Construction continued
- 30 Dec 2021: Construction work continued
- 03 Jan 2022: LR11000 connected to first level 5&6 corner segment; work on lower levels continued
- 04 Jan 2022: Construction work continued with cross beams and wall plates being added; more beams delivered
- 05 Jan 2022: First segment of level 5&6 lifted slowly, put down again, LR11000 moved forward into the bay, lifted and installed; work on finishing level 2 continued
- 05 Jan 2022: Earth work south-west of Wide Bay
- 06 Jan 2022: Work continued, second corner segment for level 5&6 lifted by LR11000 and installed
- 07 Jan 2022: Second corner segment of level 5&6 lifted by LR11000 and installed
- 07 Jan 2022: Earth work behind high and Wide Bay continued (levelling)
- 07 Jan 2022: beams delivered; beams added between corner sections of level 5&6, preassembly of level 5&6, as well as of 7&8 continued
- 08 Jan 2022: Work continued
- 10 Jan 2022: LR11000 still connected to corner segment; work other two segments of level 5&6
- 11 Jan 2022: Remaining two level 5&6 segments preassembly continued; cross beams added on level 5&6
- 12 Jan 2022: Preassembly of remaining level 5&6 segments continued
- 13 Jan 2022: Third level 5&6 (3) segment attached to crane and lifted; more beams added
- 13 Jan 2022: Groundwork behind high and Wide Bays continued
- 14 Jan 2022: Work continued; level 7&8 preassembly has begun; LR11000 disconnected from segment; fourth section lifted at 3:15pm and installed
- 15 Jan 2022: 4th corner segment of level 5&6 has been lifted
- 17 Jan 2022: Construction work continued; cross beams added for level 5&6
- 17 Jan 2022: Concrete work behind Wide Bay
- 18 Jan 2022: Construction work continued on lower levels; concrete work behind Wide Bay
- 19 Jan 2022: Work continued on all current levels; assembly of level 7&8 has begun
- 20 Jan 2022: Earth and concrete work behind High Bay and Wide Bay looks like foundation for some building/construction
- 22 Jan 2022: Construction work continued, beams added
- 25 Jan 2022: More beams added
- 26 Jan 2022: Work continued; preassembly of level 7&8 under way
- 27 Jan 2022: Stair section (produced next to High Bay) lowered into it
- 28 Jan 2022: LR11000 attached to first segment of level 7&8(4) of Wide Bay
- 29 Jan 2022: First section of level 7&8 (4) lifted by LR11000 at 10:00am and installed, work platforms have been installed on top of level 6; LR11000 attached to second segment, lifted at 3:27pm and installed
- 31 Jan 2022: Installation of small vertical cross beams
- 01 Feb 2022: Construction continued; LR11000 detached from second level 7&8 segment, attached to third segment, lifted at 2:35pm and installed; workers climbing on beams
- 02 Feb 2022: Work on lower levels continued; some small wall panels installed
- 03 Feb 2022: Third segment of level 7&8 still attached to LR11000
- 04 Feb 2022: Beams delivered
- 05 Feb 2022: More beams lifted into place; more beams, likely for final level 9&10 (5), delivered; stair assembly continued next to High Bay
- 06 Feb 2022: Fourth corner section of level 7&8/4 lifted at 8:20 am and installed
- 06 Feb 2022: Bridge crane girder delivered to production site, possibly for Wide Bay