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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 Starship launch and production facility at Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A in Florida, aiming for launches as early as this year.
This significant expansion involves a $1.8 billion investment from SpaceX, projected to create 600 jobs by 2030, and includes constructing a large "Gigabay" stacking facility and a dedicated launch/catch pad.
The primary goal of this expansion is to dramatically increase Starship's launch cadence, which is critical for its role as the human landing system for NASA's Artemis III mission.
Before operations can commence, the project requires an environmental impact statement (EIS) approval from the FAA; SpaceX is also exploring an additional Florida launch site at SLC-37.

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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.