SpaceX Proposal Would More Than Double Falcon 9 Launches at Cape Canaveral

FAA releases draft environmental assessment evaluating the impact of increasing launches from 50 to 120 per year.

Jack Daleo

Friday, March 14, 2025 at 04:09 PM ET

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Jack Daleo

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in November 2021. [Courtesy: Joshua Conti/Space Launch Delta 45]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX aims to significantly increase its Falcon 9 launch cadence, proposing to more than double launches from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral from 50 to 120 per year, and planning for a projected 170 global launches in 2025.
To facilitate this increased activity and comply with new regulations, SpaceX proposes building new Falcon 9 landing zones (LZs) adjacent to launch sites, such as a new LZ at SLC-40 following the non-renewal of existing landing licenses.
These expansion plans, including the increased launch frequency and new infrastructure, are currently undergoing environmental assessments by the FAA and Department of the Air Force at various locations including Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center, and Vandenberg.

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SpaceX, the world’s dominant commercial space launch provider, is looking to ramp up the activity of its workhorse rocket.

The FAA on Friday released a draft environmental assessment (EA) analyzing the company’s proposal to more than double the number of Falcon 9 launches from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, from 50 to 120. To facilitate the increased cadence, SpaceX proposes building a new Falcon 9 landing zone (LZ) at SLC-40 to return the two-stage rocket’s reusable first stage.