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SpaceX’s Starship rocket is quickly advancing via the much-needed paperwork to deliver the huge rocket to the Florida House Coast. Whereas SpaceX is already getting ready the {hardware} for it on the historic Launch Complicated 39A at NASA’s Kennedy House Middle, additionally it is working to include into the combo House Launch Complicated 37 situated on the neighboring Cape Canaveral House Pressure Station.
On June 6, the Division of the Air Pressure launched the Draft Environmental Affect Assertion for Starship-Tremendous Heavy launches from House Launch Complicated 37, unveiling the corporate’s bold plans for the upcoming Starship launch website.
SpaceX’s efforts to ascertain a presence for its Starship program in Florida date again to 2019. Completely different efforts have been made on the time to arrange a manufacturing of Starship autos at Cidco Highway in Cocoa however these efforts have been shelved with a purpose to focus on producing the autos at Starbase in Texas. The one remaining work from that effort now could be the Starship heatshield tile manufacturing unit on the website, which supplies the wanted thermal safety system (TPS) materials for the Starship higher levels.
Groups had additionally been working on the time on organising a Starship launch website inside Launch Complicated 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy House Middle (KSC), however efforts have been stopped in early 2020. Work resumed in 2022, and between that 12 months and the subsequent, SpaceX constructed a whole new Starship launch tower at LC-39A. This work stopped as soon as once more shortly earlier than the debut flight of Starship in April 2023.
Aerial view of SpaceX’s Starship launch pad inside Launch Complicated 39A (Credit score: Max Evans/NSF)
In early 2024, work resumed at LC-39A to use to the bottom infrastructure all the teachings realized since that first Starship launch. Environmental critiques for a modified launch infrastructure started on the time and are nonetheless persevering with in coordination with NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This course of is predicted to be full earlier than the top of the 12 months and the corporate is aiming for a primary Starship launch from LC-39A shortly after.
Within the meantime, SpaceX has additionally been working since early 2024 on a Starship Florida launch website at House Launch Complicated 37 (SLC-37) situated inside the neighboring Cape Canaveral House Pressure Station (CCSFS). In February 2024, the Division of the Air Pressure (DAF) launched a Discover of Intent (NOI) indicating the division’s intention to arrange an Environmental Affect Assertion (EIS) with a purpose to examine the environmental impacts of Starship launches from SLC-37.
This was adopted by a scoping interval between February and March of that 12 months that kickstarted a number of environmental research and interagency coordination which have lasted for a couple of 12 months. On June 6 2025, the DAF launched a Draft EIS, describing the outcomes of those research. In response to the Draft EIS, the DAF believes the actions proposed for examine gained’t negatively affect the surroundings or the general public.
Description of the proposed undertaking as introduced by the DAF again in March 2024 (Credit score: Division of the Air Pressure)
Following this Draft EIS, a 45-day lengthy public remark interval will open on June 13, throughout which the general public will be capable to go away their feedback primarily based on what’s introduced within the Draft EIS. Three in-person conferences for public remark scoping will happen on July 8, July 9, and July 10, adopted by an identical assembly on-line someday between July 25 and July 28.
As soon as the general public remark scoping interval ends, the feedback will likely be evaluated, and any adjustments because of them will likely be integrated into the ultimate EIS for the undertaking. That ultimate EIS, together with a file of choice from the FAA, are anticipated to be launched within the fall of 2025.
Regulatory timeline for the SLC-37 EIS (Credit score: Division of the Air Pressure)
SpaceX gained’t have to attend till then because it already has a restricted proper of entry to the positioning. The corporate has labored for the final couple of months on the pad to arrange main buildings for demolition in assist of future development. SpaceX would nonetheless want a separate launch license so as to have the ability to perform Starship launches from SLC-37.
The Draft EIS launched final week discloses in additional element SpaceX’s plans to function Starship from SLC-37 than what was recognized earlier than.
For instance, the doc states that the rationale to arrange a Starship launch website at SLC-37 is to assist nationwide safety launches with Starship. This Draft EIS argues that whereas SpaceX has two Starship launch pads at Starbase, none of those are inside a army base that might assist these operations and the positioning shouldn’t be properly fitted to the requested cadence of 76 launches per 12 months.
Map displaying the extent of the undertaking, together with the roads to be modified and the lease boundary areas (Credit score: Division of the Air Pressure)
Different websites just like the one being constructed at LC-39A are nearer to a army vary however lack the capability to assist the launch cadence requested. SpaceX presently makes use of its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy household of rockets to hold out such missions beneath the Nationwide Safety House Launch (NSSL) contract, however might supply Starship in future rounds of this program.
The Air Pressure has already awarded a contract to SpaceX to review utilizing the rocket for point-to-point cargo transportation. Due to this fact, SpaceX already has causes to suppose a Starship launch website at a army spaceport will quickly be wanted.
In response to the schedules, the lease of the principle launch website space at SLC-37 – that’s, every part north of Patrol Highway – can be granted to SpaceX after the file of choice is launched later this 12 months. The areas south of Patrol Highway, which incorporates United Launch Alliance’s Horizontal Integration Facility, could possibly be obtainable for lease on the finish of 2027.
SpaceX is planning to take away the vast majority of giant legacy buildings on the website, which incorporates the massive Cellular Service Tower used previously for the Delta IV and Delta IV Heavy rockets. The demolition of those buildings is predicted to start this week, with clearing work deliberate for the rest of the summer time 2025.
Proposed launch website structure to assist Starship launches from SLC-37 (Credit score: Division of the Air Pressure)
Underneath the present plans, SLC-37 would characteristic two Starship launch pads, every with a launch mount, launch integration tower, and flame trench. The 2 launch integration towers can be taller than those constructed till now, every being 600 ft (183 meters) tall in comparison with the approximate 470 ft (143 meters) for the 2 towers at Starbase and the one at LC-39A.
The launch website would have a typical propellant storage tank farm however separate deluge tank farms, an association much like the 2 launch pads current at SpaceX’s Starbase.
Philips Parkway and Outdated A1A highway can be widened to assist the transport of Starship boosters and second levels to SLC-37. Further flip radiuses are additionally anticipated to be added at key intersections to make the passage of enormous {hardware} simpler and decrease visitors disruption.
On high of the 2 launch integration towers, SpaceX is planning to construct as much as two potential catch towers with a purpose to add flexibility and assist the excessive cadence of operations from the positioning.
Aerial view of the 2 launch websites at Starbase’s launch complicated. SpaceX would replicate an identical twin setup at SLC-37 beneath the present plans with the addition of up two catch towers for added flexibility. (Credit score: Jack Beyer/NSF)
This anticipated excessive cadence of operations will likely be met with a number of challenges, one in all them being the availability of propellant to the launch website. SpaceX’s plans embrace constructing and putting in a pure fuel pretreatment system, a methane liquefier, and an air separation unit.
The pure fuel pretreatment system would take pure fuel provided by way of pipeline and purify it to extract the methane wanted to energy Starship. Then, the methane liquefier would flip the methane fuel right into a liquid earlier than sending it to the propellant storage tanks at SLC-37.
However, the air separation unit can be used to separate oxygen and nitrogen from the air and switch them into liquids. These two gases are the commonest gases in our environment and between them they make up over 95 % of dry air, making it trivial to seize them from the air and use them for launch website operations.
Liquid nitrogen is used on the launch website primarily for thermal conditioning and subcooling of Starship’s two cryogenic propellants. Liquid oxygen is utilized by Starship as its oxidizer to burn the liquid methane gasoline.
The idea of operations and the scope of the Draft EIS covers variants of Starship that haven’t flown but or haven’t even been introduced. The numbers used within the examine for thrust, rocket top, propellant capability, and extra are properly past the capabilities and properties introduced just lately by Elon Musk at a chat on the finish of Could.
Starship, Tremendous Heavy, and Raptor properties used for the EIS. Each autos greater than surpass the capabilities and properties of the present autos and recognized proposed variations of Starship. (Credit score: Division of the Air Pressure)
This seemingly displays SpaceX’s want to future-proof this examine and canopy beneath all of it future variants of Starship which may be within the plans on the firm. This fashion, if one other future model is developed, this examine gained’t need to be repeated or modified so long as it matches inside the figures talked about inside it.
Underneath the plan studied by the DAF, launch operations would start from SLC-37 in 2026, for which SpaceX would wish an extra 450 full-time staff or contractors with a purpose to assist the deliberate actions.
Starship levels would initially be constructed at SpaceX’s manufacturing facility at Starbase in Texas. These would then be transported horizontally on barges to Florida forward of their testing and launch on the website. These transports would solely happen for the primary few years with a peak of transport exercise anticipated in 2027 and a tail off over the subsequent 5 years.
Along with continued infrastructure improvement at Starbase, Texas, the place SpaceX is headquartered, SpaceX is increasing its Starship operations in Florida, bringing Starship manufacturing and launch capabilities to the House Coast → https://t.co/PYket6ALNO pic.twitter.com/akKEL6rXaA
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 3, 2025
SpaceX is presently constructing its personal Starship manufacturing services on the firm’s Operations Complicated situated at Roberts Highway inside the KSC. A big integration constructing, nicknamed Giga Bay, is already beneath development and can characteristic 24 work cells for automobile integration in addition to refurbishment.
Adjoining to the Giga Bay will likely be a manufacturing unit much like the one at Starbase, though it’s anticipated to be roughly 50 % bigger primarily based on the publicly obtainable documentation of the Roberts Highway website. Whereas SpaceX has given a notional activation date for the Giga Bay of late 2026, it’s unknown when such a manufacturing unit could also be constructed.
Starbase’s personal Starfactory facility took properly over a 12 months to be constructed and even to today continues to be not absolutely operational. The placement anticipated for the Florida Starfactory hasn’t even been cleared but each within the bodily sense and likewise within the paperwork sense because it nonetheless hasn’t handed the most recent environmental assessments.
Aerial view of SpaceX’s Operations Complicated at Roberts Highway. The corporate is presently putting in the foundations for the Florida Giga Bay on the north aspect of the complicated. (Credit score: Anthony Iemole)
All of this mixed strains up with the plans laid out on the Draft EIS of a peak transport exercise anticipated in 2027 adopted by a subsequent tail off in later years.
As soon as the Starship levels are in Florida, the autos might perform a sequence of pre-launch checks on the launch website. This contains checks like spin primes, static fireplace checks, and moist costume rehearsals.
The launch operations studied within the EIS solely take into account Starship trajectories starting from 40 levels to 115 levels azimuth. Which means that, in contrast to with Falcon 9, SpaceX shouldn’t be searching for but to make use of the Florida southern polar hall with Starship.
Identical to seen in Starship environmental assessments for different launch websites comparable to Starbase, SpaceX states that each levels would be capable to return for a touchdown on the launch website, at an ocean platform, or be expended within the ocean after their flight is full.
Map with the various areas obtainable for Starship to be expended if it have been to be wanted after it has accomplished its mission. (Credit score: Division of the Air Pressure)
Aside from the websites already contemplated on the Tiered Environmental Evaluation for Starship launches from Starbase, SpaceX has added an extra space within the Atlantic Ocean to expend Starship boosters and higher levels.
SpaceX is proposing as much as 76 launches per 12 months from SLC-37, which might in flip lead to 152 landings, 76 per stage. A most of 396 actions per 12 months could possibly be anticipated at SLC-37 when bearing in mind potential launch scrubs and checks of the Tremendous Heavy booster and Starship higher stage.
SpaceX’s proposed Starship operations at LC-39A would come with 44 launches and 88 landings per 12 months, doubtlessly bringing the mixed sum of Starship-related actions in Florida to greater than 600 per 12 months.
This elevated exercise on the house coast must be added on high of the actions deliberate by different operators comparable to Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance, Stoke House, or Relativity House. Regardless of these potential conflicts, the DAF states that the operations would don’t have any important affect on vary administration.
Launch websites with a excessive launch cadence like SLC-37 will likely be key to meet SpaceX’s aim of constructing a metropolis on Mars and making life multiplanetary (Credit score: SpaceX)
The big launch cadence deliberate for Starship in Florida contrasts with the utmost of 25 launches per 12 months allowed at Starbase, Texas. Due to this fact, it is vitally seemingly that Florida will develop into a key location for SpaceX to hold out the various launches wanted to assist the missions beneath NASA’s Artemis program and the corporate’s personal Mars ambitions.
Constructed within the Nineteen Sixties to assist launches of the Saturn I and Saturn IB rockets, House Launch Complicated 37 is giant sufficient to have the ability to assist a big automobile like Starship. Initially, the complicated was deliberate to have two launch websites, SLC-37A and SLC-37B, however throughout its complete historical past, solely SLC-37B was ever used.
Between 1964 and 1968, SLC-37B noticed six launches of the Saturn I and two launches of the Saturn IB. Most of those have been take a look at launches in assist of the Apollo program, together with testing of various applied sciences and {hardware} that will later be used for the Saturn V launches.
Launch of Apollo 5, the primary launch of the Apollo Lunar Module and the final launch of a Saturn automobile from SLC-37.
The location sat dormant for 3 a long time till Boeing proposed to take over SLC-37 to launch its then-upcoming Delta IV household of rockets. The corporate was utilizing on the time the neighboring House Launch Complicated 17 website to launch its Delta II and Delta III rockets – however with a bigger and extra highly effective rocket in improvement, a bigger launch website was wanted.
Between 2002 and 2024 SLC-37B supported 24 launches of the Delta IV Medium and 11 launches of the Delta IV Heavy rockets. This included dozens of nationwide safety missions, the maiden launch of NASA’s Orion spacecraft, and the launch of the company’s Parker Photo voltaic Probe.
A ultimate farewell to the Delta household, with the liftoff of @ulalaunch’s Delta IV Heavy rocket for NROL-70.
🎥 @NASASpaceflight
📺 https://t.co/a38HIUspVP pic.twitter.com/JkxZHHpqev— D Smart (@dwisecinema) April 9, 2024
After greater than six a long time because it was initially proposed, the plans to have two launch pads from this complicated are again on the map. Very like what’s already occurring at House Launch Complicated 40 with Falcon 9, SpaceX’s plans for SLC-37 with Starship will seemingly flip the storied website right into a busy, twenty first century launch complicated with lots of extra missions to return.
Lead Picture by way of NSF’s Jay DeShelter rendering.
