They are rebuilding the 'hat' for the Big Hopper in texas, this time of thicker stainless steel than before. (Last one was almost foil over steel rebar, and blew over in a strong wind and collapsed). New one seems sturdier!

Lots of plumbing/hardware being added after the photo op build was completed. They got the perfect image, and now they are marring it with actual needed equipment.

That is the Render vs the real thing photo op.

Now it looks more like:

@geoffc lovely! what a spectacle it's going to be to watch it hop around. Will it go from point A to point B or just land where it took off?

@uhoh So there will be at least two different hoppers. This first one, being built, literally in a field in Texas (Can you spell Rocket Ship Galileo? Heinelein would be so proud) is designed to test up to 5000m. So with three engines they will be able to test engine start on the ground, basic landing, and possibly engine out, in air restart, etc.

Then later in the summer, V2 is supposed to be ready that will be close to suborbital or higher, that will test reentry heating, and all the same stuff. With a expensive uppper stage, you cannot risk testing it with a full cost flight vehicle.

Also they will test out the Raptor under all sorts of more real life circumstances.

@geoffc okay got it, thanks. Hopefully the engine out test and in-air restart test will be done in pairs ;-)