This is John Batchelor. Why does Boca Chica delay the next launch of Starship and Super Heavy?

Bob Zimmerman offers an explanation that it isn't definitive, something about Artemis,

and not getting in the way of the Artemis launch and recovery.

There is also an explanation about rebuilding the launch pad at Boca

for much heavier use in future.

Bob has several versions of the explanations.

No one is necessary.

No one is adequate.

Bocahika is the future, So we wait for the 12th test,

I believe. Here's Bob to explain. There have been some theories that he delayed so he wouldn't

be stepping on Artemis II's toes, NASA's toes. Doesn't want to make one of his big customers

unhappy. I don't think that's the reason.

The real reason I think is that the next flight is going to be using version three of both

Starship and Super Heavy.

That's essentially a whole new spacecraft.

They have completely redesigned it based upon the first 11 flights, and it's major change.

Plus, they're working with a completely new launch pad.

They rebuilt the launch pad based on what they learned on the first 11 flights.

And so they've been doing a lot of testing to prepare and make sure everything is going to work right.

And that additional testing, of course, means it's taking longer.

That's what I think is going on.

The way they're building the launch pad facilities, by the way, is so that they can do fast launches after this. And so I think

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