SpaceX given big boost for Starship launches from Cape Canaveral

SpaceX has been given a major boost for its Starship operations at Cape Canaveral in Florida after the Department of the Air Force (DAF) gave the green light for the company to develop the Space Launch Complex-37 (SLC-37) launch facility.

Preparatory construction work at the site began earlier this year, but the nod from DAF means SpaceX can now move onto the serious work of building a launchpad for its mighty Starship rocket.

The green light comes after a thorough environmental review focusing on the impact of Starship launches on nearby wildlife that also included a safety analysis.

SpaceX is developing multiple Starship launch facilities on Florida’s Space Coast, including a pad at Launch Complex-39A (LC-39A), where building work has also started. The goal is to conduct as many as 76 Starship launches per year from SLC-37, and up to 44 launches annually from LC-39A, with the first full roster of launches starting next year or 2027, depending on regulatory approvals and infrastructure readiness.

SpaceX also wants to repurpose Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) for Starship flights. The site is currently used mainly for launches of the Falcon 9, SpaceX’s workhorse rocket.

“With three launch pads in Florida, Starship will be ready to support America’s national security and Artemis goals as the world’s premiere spaceport continues to evolve to enable airport-like operations,” SpaceX said in a post on X, referring to its ambition to have fast turnaround times for the reflight of its reusable rockets. 

Up to now, SpaceX has conducted all 11 of its Starship launches from its Starbase facility in southern Texas. It’s currently building a new launchpad for its next-gen Starship rocket and will also rebuild the original pad, giving it five Starship launchpads across two states.

When fully operational, the Starship, which is the most powerful rocket ever to fly, will be used for crew and cargo missions to the moon, and possibly to Mars, too, though there’s still much work to be done to get the rocket ready.