SpaceX is surging ahead this week as teams at Starbase push the Starship program to record-breaking speeds and prepare for Starship Flight 12, now targeted for a January 2026 orbital launch. Ship 39, marking the first of the Block 3 Starship line, is nearly finished inside Mega Bay 2, with only final assembly steps remaining. According to a vivid walkthrough by Scientia Plus on November 13, 2025, SpaceX engineers recently relocated their new cryogenic test stand, designed for Block 3 upper stages, to the production area. This signals that Ship 39 is almost ready for its inaugural cryogenic proof test, which will be the very first ever performed on this upgraded Block 3 series. Simultaneously, Booster 18 is fully stacked and undergoing the last series of plumbing and system checks, with cryo and static fire campaigns for both rocket segments starting in the coming days.Vice president of launch at SpaceX, Kiko Donv, confirmed that the ambitious internal timeline remains intact, and work on both critical pieces of Starbase hardware is being executed at extraordinary speed. The Block 3 variant brings substantial structural and performance improvements; listeners can expect improved payload capacity and flight efficiency, incorporating lessons learned from prior Starship flights. While the rockets themselves evolve, Starbase’s launch infrastructure is being overhauled at the same feverish pace. Pad 1 is currently undergoing major demolition as SpaceX clears out old systems and internal structures, preparing to rebuild it to Block 3-specific alignments and safety requirements. Meanwhile, Pad 2 is approaching final operational readiness, as teams finish the installation and testing of dual booster quick disconnect systems and new propellant transfer lines, ensuring the pad will be capable of supporting the higher flight cadence envisioned for the next phase of Starship launches.At Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39A, identical rapid construction and turbocharged upgrades are evident, with the new Starship pad infrastructure almost complete and ready for major component integration. All signs point towards SpaceX's determination to expand its operational capacity on both the Gulf Coast and Florida’s Space Coast.Amid the intense SpaceX vs. Blue Origin rivalry, this week also witnessed Blue Origin achieving a milestone of its own, with the successful landing of the New Glenn booster after the ESCAPADE Mars launch, as highlighted by Space.com. That prompted plenty of social media snark from Elon Musk, who jokingly welcomed Jeff Bezos to the “real rocket landing club” and then, in a widely shared post, quipped that competition means, “We all have to build faster, smarter, and crazier.”Meanwhile, SpaceX continues to make news in the satellite arena. LAist reported ongoing intrigue around a classified network of SpaceX-built Starshield defense satellites emitting mysterious signals, sparking debate among satellite watchers and international regulators. SpaceX and the National Reconnaissance Office have continued their policy of strategic silence, and this lack of transparency is only fueling more intense speculation and online gossip, with users across X and Reddit buzzing over what the real mission profile might be.Finally, SpaceX’s Starlink satellite launches continue at a relentless pace, with the next batch scheduled for launch from the East Coast, according to Space Launch Schedule, further expanding their global broadband internet reach and underscoring the company’s ability to juggle both government and commercial priorities.Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.For more http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

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