SpaceX Pitches High-Frequency Starship Operations at Kennedy Space Center

The company proposes installing infrastructure that would support as many as 44 Starship launches annually but will first need to pass an environmental assessment.

Jack Daleo

Friday, May 10, 2024 at 01:20 PM ET

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SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, which has launched from Kennedy Space Center since 2018, lifts off from Launch Pad 39A on its maiden voyage on February 6, 2018. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX has proposed operating its Starship rocket, including constructing new launch and landing infrastructure, from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex-39A for up to 44 launches annually.
The FAA and NASA require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess the potential environmental effects before a commercial launch license can be considered for Starship operations at KSC, with SpaceX preparing the statement under FAA supervision.
Public comments are being solicited for the EIS process, especially in light of previous Starship test flights from Texas causing significant unintended environmental damage and legal challenges.

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The FAA on Friday revealed a proposal by SpaceX to operate Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, out of Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The agency says it plans to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the potential effects of awarding a commercial launch vehicle operator license for Starship operations at Kennedy’s Launch Complex-39A. To date, all Starship test flights have launched from SpaceX’s Starbase launchpad in Boca Chica, Texas, which serves as its primary research, development, and flight test facility for the gargantuan rocket.