A new SpaceX launchpad is under construction in Florida. That’s according to CEO Elon Musk who tweeted that the Starship orbital launch pad construction had begun in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Construction of Starship orbital launch pad at the Cape has begun
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 3, 2021
Previous to this announcement, SpaceX’s sole-owned launch pad was their facility at Boca Chica, Texas. While for Falcon 9 launches, SpaceX has long used their launch complex, which is leased at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
The Starship prototype is currently getting ready for its first orbital launch from the Boca Chica location next year. SpaceX is still waiting for environmental clearance and a launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration for the flight.
SpaceX and Musk always noted that they wanted Florida to be the eventual launch site for their crewed spacecraft missions. So, the news of construction does not come as a massive surprise. SpaceX poured the concrete for the launch pad back in 2019.
The new launch pad will be part of the existing launch complex at the Kennedy Space Center. However, there is no word on if the plan for the new pad includes the ambitious plan of a new launch tower. The proposed launch tower would be capable of catching a returning rocket.
SpaceX nor Musk provided any other details on the plans for the launchpad.
