Dave Limp(@davill):This week, our second stage and payload teams successfully ran our first vertical CONOPS test at LC-11. Using a GS2 simulator, a forward dome we built in-house, and the full-sized payload fairing, the team conducted vertical stacking lifts and matings, gathered wind-damping data and effects, and tested new mechanisms that guide and slot these structures into place. The ingenuity it took to stand up this test quickly is exactly what gets us to flight soonest.

2026.08.13 16:03

This week, our second stage and payload teams successfully ran our first vertical CONOPS test at LC-11. Using a GS2 simulator, a forward dome we built in-house, and the full-sized payload fairing, the team conducted vertical stacking lifts and matings, gathered wind-damping data and effects, and tested new mechanisms that guide and slot these structures into place. The ingenuity it took to stand up this test quickly is exactly what gets us to flight soonest.