{"frequency":"weekly","subject":"Weekly Space Intelligence: Starship V4 roadmap, building Mars cities from rust","introduction":null,"banner":"https://research.33fg.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTI4NiwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--311dbb364d7f1f8713236c9a6d542aea539a0fae/Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20M33_NewsletterBanner%20(2).jpg","posts":[{"title":"From Martian Rust to Steel: 10 Starships = An Empire State’s Worth of Steel Every Year","slug":"from-martian-rust-to-steel-10-starships-an-empire-state-s-worth-of-steel-every-year","visibility":"public","type":"analysis","summary":"Australian researchers recently proved Martian “rust” can be smelted into iron. Our model shows that with 5-10 Starships of energy hardware, solar yields enough steel for one city block of Mars base per year, while fission yields enough for four.","card_description":null,"tags":["Mars","SpaceX"],"url":"https://research.33fg.com/analysis/from-martian-rust-to-steel-10-starships-an-empire-state-s-worth-of-steel-every-year","published_at":"Sep 03, 2025","thumbnail":"https://research.33fg.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTI3MywicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--412ed314504f2d134a7976005966f68dc852e210/optimus%20mars.jpg"}],"charts":[],"news":[{"title":"U.S. Space Command HQ to move to Alabama","summary":"President Trump announced he intends to move U.S. Space Command headquarters to Huntsville, Ala., after a protracted battle over whether it would stay in Colorado, as former President Joe Biden advocated.","tags":["Politics"],"url":"https://research.33fg.com/news/u-s-space-command-hq-to-move-to-alabama","published_at":"Sep 02, 2025","source":"Wesa","thumbnail":"https://research.33fg.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTI4MiwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--961a4ce0a62930270be3897aada413557d725bd8/trump%20space.jpeg","commentary":"\u003cdiv\u003ePresident Trump announced that U.S. Space Command headquarters will relocate from Colorado to Huntsville, Alabama. The move may bolster regional aerospace investment, potentially creating new opportunities for contractors and sub‑contractors in Huntsville’s growing defense and space ecosystem.\u003c/div\u003e"},{"title":"Musk confirms Starship’s orange hue from test tile oxidation, not heatshield damage","summary":null,"tags":["Launch","SpaceX"],"url":"https://research.33fg.com/news/musk-confirms-starship-s-orange-hue-from-test-tile-oxidation-not-heatshield-damage","published_at":"Aug 29, 2025","source":"X","thumbnail":"https://research.33fg.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTI4NCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--0ca7ffc5d3f5c90479e1eaca9b53ed7a1053c2c3/starship%20orange.jpeg","commentary":"\u003cdiv\u003eElon Musk confirmed speculation on X that Starship’s orange appearance during landing resulted from rapid oxidation of metallic test heat shield tiles, not surface coatings. He emphasized that the heatshield tiles “almost entirely stayed attached,” underscoring their effectiveness in surviving intense reentry conditions, a critical advancement for durability and reusability. These observations reinforce confidence in Starship’s ongoing development of rapid‑turnaround thermal protection systems, directly impacting launch cadence and cost efficiency.\u003c/div\u003e"},{"title":"Firefly Aerospace gets FAA approval to resume Alpha rocket testing","summary":null,"tags":["Regulatory","Firefly Aerospace"],"url":"https://research.33fg.com/news/firefly-aerospace-gets-faa-approval-to-resume-alpha-rocket-testing","published_at":"Aug 28, 2025","source":"Orbitaltoday","thumbnail":"https://research.33fg.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTI4NywicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--b8da409239c6a34fb731bc46108b511b94a0d4aa/alpha.jpg","commentary":"\u003cdiv\u003eFirefly Aerospace has secured FAA approval to restart flight testing of its Alpha rocket after a ground-based mishap in May. Investigations found that the flight safety system responded correctly and identified excessive thermal stress from a high angle of attack as the root cause. Firefly has since enhanced the first stage thermal protection and adjusted flight profiles, clearing the way for upcoming missions including Alpha FLTA007 (Lockheed Martin) and VICTUS HAZE (True Anomaly) later in 2025.\u003c/div\u003e"},{"title":"Rocket Lab unveils first launch site for reusable Neutron rocket at Wallops","summary":"Governor Glenn Youngkin today joined Rocket Lab CEO Sir Peter Beck to celebrate the opening of Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 3, located at Pad 0-D at the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island.","tags":["Rocket Lab","Launch"],"url":"https://research.33fg.com/news/rocket-lab-unveils-first-launch-site-for-reusable-neutron-rocket-at-wallops","published_at":"Aug 28, 2025","source":"Virginia","thumbnail":"https://research.33fg.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTI4MSwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--3315f17c7a1bf67fa881eea9904ddc6ddc711ef5/Rocket%20Lab%20Photo%201.jpg","commentary":"\u003cdiv\u003eRocket Lab, joined by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, inaugurated Launch Complex 3 (Pad 0‑D) at Wallops Island: the first launch facility designed for the Neutron reusable rocket. The site adds infrastructure for both launch and landing operations. This expands Rocket Lab’s geographic footprint and advances its medium‑lift reusable launch ambitions, with Neutron's first launch expected in early 2026.\u003c/div\u003e"},{"title":"Taiwan Space Agency unveils $81 million LEO satellite manufacturing program","summary":"Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) has launched a major initiative to industrialize communications satellite manufacturing, aiming to position Taiwan as a key player in the global low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite ecosystem. The newly announced program, with a budget of NT$2.49 billion (approx. US$81 million), is more than just a satellite procurement plan—it's a strategic investment to cultivate full-scale satellite system integration capabilities within Taiwan's domestic tech industry.","tags":["Politics"],"url":"https://research.33fg.com/news/taiwan-space-agency-unveils-81-million-leo-satellite-manufacturing-program","published_at":"Aug 28, 2025","source":"Digitimes","thumbnail":"https://research.33fg.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTI3OCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--f9de2ed4bf23cd83bc402ff190ebd3d813ed64a4/tasa.jpeg","commentary":"\u003cdiv\u003eTaiwan’s space agency has launched an $81 million initiative focused on communications satellite production to bolster local industry and strengthen its role in global LEO satellite manufacturing. The program aims to build domestic capacity and potentially attract commercial partnerships in the expanding satellite broadband market. For investors, it signals growing regional competition and Southeast Asia’s increasing relevance in space infrastructure supply chains.\u003c/div\u003e"},{"title":"Blue Origin again defers New Shepard suborbital flight due to avionics issues","summary":"Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket is set to launch an uncrewed science mission to suborbital space. The company has yet to determine a new launch date.","tags":["Blue Origin"],"url":"https://research.33fg.com/news/blue-origin-again-defers-new-shepard-suborbital-flight-due-to-avionics-issues","published_at":"Aug 28, 2025","source":"Space","thumbnail":"https://research.33fg.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTI4MCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--ffbf4e22c1cbdab6d7837c8e7ddbad654bf5d3b7/new%20shepard.jpeg","commentary":"\u003cdiv\u003eBlue Origin postponed its NS‑35 New Shepard mission, which would have carried its 200th payload and scientific experiments, because of a persistent booster avionics glitch. The uncrewed flight was scrubbed for the second consecutive attempt, with a reschedule contingent on resolving technical issues. This delay undercuts Blue Origin’s suborbital service reliability at a time of increasing competition.\u003c/div\u003e"},{"title":"SpaceX unveils Starship roadmap through V4 with \u003e200t payload capacity","summary":null,"tags":["Launch","SpaceX"],"url":"https://research.33fg.com/news/spacex-unveils-starship-roadmap-through-v4-with-200t-payload-capacity","published_at":"Aug 28, 2025","source":"X","thumbnail":"https://research.33fg.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTI4MywicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--3aeac94daf01757dd46ac2125d2e24c1ce6ad97e/spedcs%20starshi%5Bp.jpeg","commentary":"\u003cdiv\u003eElon Musk released updated specifications showing Starship’s evolution from V1 (~15t payload in 2023/24) to a projected V4 capable of lifting over 200t to orbit. Booster thrust is set to climb from 7,100 tf to 10,000 tf, while ship propellant load nearly doubles to 2,300t and total vehicle height rises to 142 m. V3 (2025/26) marks a breakthrough with 100t+ orbital payload and incremental structural growth, while V4 integrates six vacuum engines and major thrust upgrades.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e"},{"title":"Falcon 9 booster completes record-breaking 30th flight with Starlink payload","summary":"Update Aug. 28, 5:20 a.m. EDT: SpaceX confirmed deployment of the 28 satellites.","tags":["Launch","SpaceX"],"url":"https://research.33fg.com/news/falcon-9-booster-completes-record-breaking-30th-flight-with-starlink-payload","published_at":"Aug 28, 2025","source":"Spaceflightnow","thumbnail":"https://research.33fg.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTI3OSwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--5ea3699dff1c5ad36961d0378c17f4e5a3e15ad3/b1060.jpg","commentary":"\u003cdiv\u003eSpaceX’s Falcon 9 booster B1067 set a new reusability record by flying for the 30th time, launching 23 Starlink v2 mini satellites from Cape Canaveral and landing on the droneship \u003cem\u003eA Shortfall of Gravitas\u003c/em\u003e. The milestone demonstrates the durability of Falcon 9’s first-stage design and the cost savings enabled by repeat flight. The achievement reinforces SpaceX’s lead in launch reusability economics while supporting the continued expansion of Starlink’s broadband capacity.\u003c/div\u003e"}]}
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