SpaceX has begun installing a redesigned fuel transfer tube into the first next-generation Super Heavy booster, the company said on 9 July. The component, which feeds cryogenic propellant from the booster’s main tank to its 33 Raptor engines, is roughly the same height as the entire first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket. The new tube is intended to allow all 33 engines to ignite simultaneously and enable faster flip-maneuvers during flight, a capability viewed as critical to making the fully reusable Starship system reliable and economical. The upgrade marks one of the most substantial hardware changes since flight testing began in 2023, underscoring SpaceX’s push to ready Starship for orbital missions and eventual cargo and crew flights.