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 is seeking regulatory approval to significantly increase Falcon 9 launches from its primary facilities, aiming for a global total of 170 launches in 2025.
The FAA released a draft environmental assessment for SpaceX's proposal to more than double Falcon 9 launches from Cape Canaveral's SLC-40, from 50 to 120 annually.
To facilitate the increased cadence at SLC-40 and comply with new landing regulations, SpaceX plans to construct a new Falcon 9 landing zone directly adjacent to the launch complex.
Similar expansion efforts, including increased launch rates and new landing zones, are also underway at Kennedy Space Center and Vandenberg Space Force Base.

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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.