Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Shipyard working on landing pad

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - SpaceX is converting two oil rigs into floating launch pads for Elon Musk's SpaceX program. Work on one of the rigs is being done in Mississippi. ST Engineering Halter Marine and Offshore in Pascagoula is involved in a six-month project to remove drilling equipment from the semi-submersible rig, Phobus. It will be used as a launching and landing pad for Starship, a SpaceX vehicle that Musk plans to send to Mars. Jeffrey Gehrmann, ST Engineering’s vice president of operations, said the rig was towed in from Galveston, Texas. ST Engineering already had the staff to do the work, which should be wrapping up soon. SpaceX is using reusable boosters that land back on earth after launching a spacecraft. (Source: Sun Herald, 06/03/21)