Modern Flying News Space

SpaceX Begins Building for Starship Launches in Florida

Company announces it is building new production and launch facilities at Kennedy Space Center.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, March 05, 2025 at 02:38 PM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

A satellite image of Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A and Launch Complex 39-B. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX is establishing a second major launch site for its Starship rocket at Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A in Florida, with initial launches potentially occurring as early as this year.
This expansion involves a projected $1.8 billion investment, the creation of 600 jobs, and the construction of a massive "Gigabay" stacking facility by 2026, with another potential site at SLC-37 also under evaluation.
The move aims to significantly increase Starship's launch cadence, which is crucial for its role in NASA's Artemis III lunar landing mission, pending required environmental impact statements and regulatory approvals.

See a mistake? Contact us.

SpaceX, the nation’s most prolific private launch provider, is starting construction on a second home for its gargantuan Starship rocket.

During Monday’s broadcast of Starship’s scrubbed eighth test flight, Christopher Gebhardt from the SpaceX communications team revealed the company plans to launch Starship—the largest rocket ever built—from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida as soon as this year. Per a statement from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, SpaceX will spend about $1.8 billion on the project and create 600 jobs by 2030.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.