Starbase OLP-A

Mission Profile

Starbase Orbital Launch Pad A (OLP-A) at SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas is the primary launch site for the Starship integrated flight test program, hosting the world's largest and most powerful rocket system ever flown. The pad features the Mechazilla (or Mechazilla) tower — a 146-meter steel integration and catch structure equipped with two enormous robotic arms (nicknamed Mechazilla) capable of catching returning Super Heavy boosters and Starship vehicles in mid-air during landing. OLP-A hosted the first Starship integrated flight test on 20 April 2023 and subsequent test flights that have progressively validated stage separation, propulsive landing, and booster catch operations. The facility represents an unprecedented approach to launch infrastructure, with the catch tower replacing traditional landing legs on the vehicles themselves.