SpaceX prepares Starship for first orbital flight

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The engine section is pretty heavy and propellant for an ascent will lower the center of mass more. Here is an analysis.

 

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SpaceX is preparing for the WDR. It's mimicking the launch sequence but stopping just before engine ignition. It is one of the two main tests that are left to do before a launch, with the other being a static fire of all engines together.

NASASpaceflight coverage:

 

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WDR completed. The video is showing how it will look like for a launch, with ice all around the booster and covering the tank section of the upper stage on the side without heat shield. The ice-free part in the middle is the interstage (upper part of the booster) and the engine section of the ship, the ice-free part on the top is the payload section.

 

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Destacked to prepare the static fire test
The next time the ship will be on the booster it's in preparation for launch.

In other news:

SpaceX's Sarah Walker says the company is making "good progress" toward having Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral SFS ready to support launches of Dragon cargo missions to the International Space Station in the fall, then will add in crew launch capability later.

While this sounds like a Dragon announcement, it's really about Starship.
SpaceX prepares a Starship launch pad at site 39A in Florida, the same area that also handles Dragon launches. An exploding Starship could damage both pads and interrupt launches to the ISS. NASA really wants to avoid that, especially with the current situation with Russia and Starliner still not being certified.
To avoid that risk, SpaceX prepares its other launch site in Florida to handle Dragon launches if needed. That means they likely aim at initial Florida launches of Starship for late 2023 or early 2024 or so.

 

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SpaceX says it hopes to fire all engines (33) on the starship booster tomorrow.