People usually spend their vacation at the beach, national parks, big cities, or going on a cruise; we planned to spend ours visiting Starbase in Boca Chica, TX and see with our own eyes an spectacular rocket.
My son wanted for us to take a vacation together like we did when he was younger, so we started looking for places that were interesting to both of us and that we could go see with the limited time we had. Coincidentally, SpaceX had announced they were planning the second flight of their Starship rocket in October. Although a date was not set we decided to spend this time together going to see the Starship rocket, and probably, if lucky, see the launch.
We made the best of this trip by flying via Houston to visit family, but we also went to the Space Center Houston at NASA Johnson Space Center, to learn more about the current and past missions. I visited the Center many years ago, but since then, NASA has launched several missions; it was time to go back and check what new exhibits they had.
As soon as we entered the Center, we saw models and replicas of several spacecraft. The Lunar Lander hung from the ceiling as if it were about to land on the Moon. The model of the Skylab had an opening so one could walk through and see how big it was and imagine what astronauts felt living there. We also saw the refurbished Saturn V rocket which now sits in a large building protected from the elements. There were two new exhibits that I found quite interesting; one was the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and the other was the Falcon 9 first stage booster B1035. The enormous Shuttle Carrier, the original Boeing 747 jetliner, sat majestically in the front garden of the Center. A model of the Space Shuttle sat atop the Boeing 747 jetliner, just like it did when transported from California to the launch site in Florida. The Falcon 9 booster was also in this garden, lying on its side and showing the lower portion charred by the smoke produced by the engines that helped it with the descent and landing.
<- Falcon9
The next day, we drove south to Harlingen, TX, where we stayed for the rest of our trip. This town is north of Brownsville, TX, but almost the same distance from Starbase. On the way there, we stopped in Corpus Christi, where we visited the Texas State Aquarium. Definitely this was becoming a very educational trip.
The following day was the day we had been waiting for -- the day to visit Starbase. It was cloudy, but we were not supposed to get rain. A cloudy day was probably good because we did not have to worry about getting sunburned or dehydrated, as there is no visitor center in Starbase or a place to shelter. Also, that day was quite windy in Boca Chica, so we didn't have to worry about the mosquitoes either. Note that if none of these conditions are present, you will need a hat, sun block lotion, water, and insect repellent. Of course, you might also want to bring a light snack if you come from far away and plan to stay for a while. There are no trash cans in the area, so also bring something to collect your trash.
The drive to the base took us through a part of Brownsville that brought to mind the streets of Mexico; however, as we passed the US Border Patrol Checkpoint, the landscape started to change. We were entranced after the top half of a Starship rocket appeared ahead. This Starship was at the Massey Rocket Test Facility, which was closed for testing. We held our breath as we continued our drive down the road, hoping Starbase was open. We wanted to get as close as possible to the launch facility.
Driving down the road, we approached the wetlands of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, from where we started seeing several Starship second stages and Super Heavy boosters standing in different areas of the Starbase Production Site. In that facility, you could also see three tall buildings, called Mega, High, and Mid bays, two of them are finished and have the top floor made of glass walls. The Megabay is missing only the top floors, one of which might also have glass walls like the other two. I have not figured out what is in these glass floors, though later I learned that one of them is supposed to be a bar, which I am pretty sure has not opened yet.
We read some information about driving to Starbase, but not about how to get inside. It was not until we got there that we realized that even if one cannot get into the main facilities, driving around gets you close enough to enjoy the view of the rockets and to make the trip worthy. During our first visit there was not much going on at the Starbase Production Site because it was the weekend. Also, there was not much traffic and we were able to stop our car along the narrow shoulder across the street. On a later visit, we found out that during a workday, the front of the facility fills with cars and the traffic on the road makes it more difficult to stop to take pictures. From this point, we had a good view of the three bays, a large white hangar under construction, and some of the finished boosters and Starships standing outside. We also had an unobstructed view of the front of the facility and the Starbase sign. Several Super Heavy boosters and Starship second stages were also inside the High and Mega bays; however, to see those, we had to go up the road or wait until driving in the opposite direction when we were on our way out of Starbase.
We then drove to the SpaceX Launch Facility, where we saw two Starship second stages and one Super Heavy booster. I was slightly disappointed when I saw that only the booster was attached to the Launch Tower. I wanted to see the rocket fully stacked, but the Starship second stage was next to it, so it was still quite an impressive sight. We spent most of the time in this part of the base because one can park across the facility on a sandy patch.
At about 500 ft from the launch pad the Starship didn’t look as big as I had imagined, probably because all the structures around were large and affected our perspective. We confirmed this when we came back on a different day. A few people were working on the lower section of the Super Heavy booster and appeared very small from the place where we parked. This gave us an idea of the rocket's real size. At the launch facility we also saw the Star Hopper, which is the Starship's prototype rocket that performed the first successful flight in 2019.
I took many pictures of the area and the launch facility, and my son took a picture of me so I could prove I was there. We also walked to Boca Chica beach, which is next to the launch facility. The water was choppy, so there were no boats in sight. A few people were walking on the beach and taking pictures. I was glad I had a thin jacket because the wind made it slightly cold. There was not much else to do there but admire the rockets and dream of the future.
We stayed in the area for several days and visited the base three times, once close to sunset time. We wanted to see if the launch tower was illuminated, but this time it wasn’t so we drove back to our hotel. If planning a visit, it is wise to allocate several days because of the weather or possible closures. For example, the sky was cloudy every day we visited the base, and heavy rain chased us out on the last day. One day we were turned around at the outskirts of Brownsville because Starbase was closed to the public due to a test that would last the whole day. Also, going on a workday gave us an idea of how much is happening there.
During a workday we spent some time watching the activities at the launch facility. There was a group of people that looked like engineers checking out one of the Starships. Someone on a cherry-picking lift in the Orbital Tank Farm was probably fixing a dent in one of the tanks. A sweeper went back and forth, removing the sand that had accumulated next to the fence. Several employees came and went on utility vehicles and bicycles, ringing bike bells as they approached the main entrance, other cars, or people. All seemed content and quite friendly. Probably noticing my big smile, some waved as they passed by. The Starbase production site was also very active. Vehicles of all sizes were going in and out, and the area in front of the fence was full of cars.
This was the end and probably good enough for a first visit. Coming to Starbase was a treat and probably more special because I was there with my son, who shares my excitement for technology and space exploration. We missed the launch, but I am still looking forward to watch its second flight over the internet. I will be back later to see one in person and try to learn more about the people working at Starbase and how it feels to contribute to this important and exciting project.
But this was not the end of the story. At the Houston airport, I had the opportunity to meet astronaut Reed Wiseman, who was flying with his daughter on the same plane as us. His polo shirt with the Artemis logo prompted a conversation about the project and my work with the Hubble and the Webb telescopes. To my amazement, when I asked about his work with Artemis he smiled and said — “I hope to fly on the second Artemis mission.” It was a brief conversation because we all had to rush to our gate and board the plane, but as you can imagine, I was delighted to meet an astronaut who was going to be part of Artemis II. As I told Reed, our conversation was a great way to close a wonderful trip to Starbase and a nice vacation with my son.
Resources:
Space Center Houston:https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi28L-_-5KCAxXCIjQIHW6tB1AQFnoECCUQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fspacecenter.org%2F&usg=AOvVaw3S5IY1DBkYyQkOz-Ny5MAN&opi=89978449