SpaceX plans to launch Starship 44 times a year. These launches will happen at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. This makes some rivals unhappy. Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance want to avoid disruptions. Blue Origin wants SpaceX to launch at set times. They also want other companies to have launch priority.
SpaceX has bigger plans. They want a second launch pad next door. This new pad is Space Launch Complex (SLC)-37. It is at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). SpaceX wants to launch Starship from there 76 times a year. This means SpaceX aims for 120 launches a year in Florida.
The U.S. Space Force will release a draft environmental assessment this winter. This document will show SpaceX’s final launch plans. A Space Force rep told sources that launch numbers might change. Changes depend on Starship’s progress or the number of bird nests found. Scrub jays, a Florida bird, are on the Endangered Species list.
SpaceX’s rivals use the number 76 as their benchmark. This number is from talks with SpaceX. SpaceX did not comment on this.
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SLC-37 is a historic pad. NASA’s Saturn rockets used it in the 1960s. Recently, United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV rockets used it. The pad is now inactive. Delta IV Heavy flew its last flight in April. The Space Force announced an environmental impact statement in February. This statement checks the environmental impacts of Starship launches from SLC-37.
The Federal Aviation Administration is also preparing an impact statement. This statement is for SpaceX’s plans at Kennedy Space Center’s pad 39A. Both studies check the impacts of Starship launches and landings. Super Heavy boosters will return to the launch site like Falcon rockets do.
The Space Force’s impact statement for SLC-37 considers another option. SpaceX could build a new launch pad called SLC-50. This option would need much construction. This includes ponds, fuel tanks, and a catch tower. SpaceX aims for 120 launches a year from both sites.
These plans show SpaceX’s big ambitions. But they also raise concerns among rivals. Environmental impacts are another worry. The coming assessments will be crucial.
To read our blog on “SpaceX’s starship made its trip back to Earth,” click here
