SpaceX plans $27 million project to build 3 rocket landing zones in Florida

SpaceX is planning to build three new rocket landing areas on Florida’s Space Coast, increasing the number of missions the company can launch in the coming years — and presumably being able to accommodate the company’s massive Starship-Super Heavy rocket systems.

On Thursday morning, Space Florida’s board of directors briefly discussed SpaceX’s $27 million project, which was on the agenda as Project Liftoff. Construction will take place at the company’s two rocket sites: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Station and Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

“The project will increase flight frequencies, reduce platform downtime, and enable job growth,” Howard Hauge, Space Florida’s executive vice president, treasurer, and chief investment officer, told the board. “Without these improvements, flight frequencies at Launch Complex 39A and 40 will remain limited at current rates.”

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The project is expected to create 300 jobs with an average annual wage of $89,000, Hauge said. The project also includes “resilient improvements” such as corrosion protection, structural improvements, fire protection upgrades and environmental mitigation, he added.

The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026, and the Florida Department of Transportation and SpaceX will each contribute more than $13.3 million, Space Florida spokeswoman Alina Curry said in an email.

SpaceX lands boosters on land, at sea

Today, SpaceX operates Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Station. That’s where Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets touch down after some missions — creating sonic booms throughout central Florida.

SpaceX rockets also land on the Just Read the Instructions and A Shortfall of Gravitas drone ships in the Atlantic Ocean, most often during the company’s many Starlink missions.

SpaceX has launched 51 of its 55 rockets so far this year from the Space Coast, with United Launch Alliance responsible for four more. That’s expected to top the short-lived annual record of 72 rockets set last year.

To that end, SpaceX is scheduled to launch two consecutive rockets on Friday and Saturday mornings, according to the FAA’s operations plan. The 4.5-hour launch window for Starlink 8-3 on Friday from Kennedy Space Center runs from 8:13 a.m. to 12:43 p.m., while the Starlink 10-7 mission on Saturday from Launch Complex 40 runs from 7:21 a.m. to 11:51 a.m.

Starship-Super Heavy Coming to Space Coast

In an email, Carey said the uses for SpaceX’s three future rocket landing sites have not yet been determined. However, SpaceX has modified and expanded its Starship operations plans at Kennedy Space Center since NASA issued an environmental assessment five years ago.

“SpaceX is now proposing to build additional launch infrastructure not previously anticipated in the 2019 Environmental Assessment; launch an advanced Starship and Super Heavy design; operate at a higher anticipated launch frequencies; and land a Super Heavy rocket at LC-39A to support the reusability concept. Starship landings are no longer proposed to occur at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Station,” according to the FAA website.

Now, the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies are conducting an environmental assessment of SpaceX’s plan to launch Starship-Super Heavy missions up to 44 times a year from Pad 39A. SpaceX officials want to build a Super Heavy capture tower at the pad, along with on-site facilities for fuel generation and storage, a cooling tower, an air separation unit and a deluge system, according to an FAA fact sheet.

Meanwhile, SpaceX officials hope to have the Starship Super Heavy launch complex at Cape Canaveral Space Station operational by 2026. The U.S. Air Force is preparing to issue an environmental impact statement for Starship in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA and the U.S. Coast Guard.

SpaceX rivals Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance have raised concerns as part of the FAA review, warning that the rocket has not yet been tested and is potentially extremely dangerous and disruptive. Preferred residents have also raised concerns ranging from environmental impact to impact on local communities, fishing families and tourism.

For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space.

Rick Neal He is a space correspondent for FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at [email protected]. Twitter/X: @Rick Neal1

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