SpaceX Buys Oil Rigs for Starship Launch Pads

The newest spacecraft from SpaceX is currently being developed in Texas. Elon Musk, the company’s CEO, had previously indicated plans to construct offshore spaceports to facilitate Starship operations, following the publication of a job posting seeking an individual to manage their creation. SpaceX has now acquired two oil rigs with the intention of converting them for this application, as initially reported by Michael Baylor of spaceflight.com and subsequently verified by CNBC.

SpaceX has designated the rigs as Deimos and Phoibos, drawing inspiration from the names of the two moons orbiting Mars – and, prior to that, the Greek deities representing dread and fear. Originally engineered for deepwater offshore drilling operations, reaching depths of up to 8,500 feet, the rigs are presently situated in Brownsville, a Gulf of Mexico port city close to SpaceX’s Starship development facility in Brownsville, Texas.

Each of these platforms measures 240 feet by 255 feet and is planned to be adapted to enable Starship launches (and potentially accommodate return landings, considering their reusable nature). To date, SpaceX has been conducting launches and landings of its Starship prototypes on land at its Boca Chica location, although these have been limited to lower-altitude flights. The company also utilizes two drone ships, measuring approximately 300 feet in length and 170 feet in width, as unmanned floating platforms for the recovery of its Falcon 9 rocket boosters.

SpaceX also advertised a position for a resort development manager to transform its facility in south Texas into a “21st century spaceport,” specifically seeking someone with experience in resort management. Concurrently, Musk affirmed his relocation to Texas last December, a move he had publicly considered due to factors including California’s tax and regulatory climate.

Musk’s other venture, Tesla, also chose Austin as the location for its next U.S. gigafactory, which will be used for the production of the Cybertruck, Model Y, and Tesla Semi, as well as Model 3 vehicles for east coast customers. SpaceX has operated engine testing facilities in McGregor, Texas, and initially established Boca Chica as one of two Starship development locations, alongside Florida. However, the company later concentrated all construction and testing efforts for the spacecraft at the south Texas site after consolidating its resources.