SpaceX is developing Starship launch complex at Cape Canaveral after approval from Air Force

SpaceX has overcome a significant obstacle: the U.S. Air Force has approved the conversion of a historic Cape Canaveral launch site into a hub for its giant Starship rockets. SpaceX announced the approval in an X post, noting that work is already underway at Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The move adds a third Starship launch site in Florida, which will support America's national interests and Artemis missions with airport-like efficiency. 

A record of decision, saw Michael Saunders, acting secretary of the Air Force for energy, installations, and the environment, approve SpaceX's proposal on November 20, Space News reported. This follows the completion of a lengthy EIS process that assessed the environmental impacts of the plan. SLC-37 has a deep heritage, having hosted Saturn 1 missions in the 1960s and having served United Launch Alliance's Delta 4, whose final launch took place in April of 2024. SpaceX will build a pair of Starship launch pads at SLC-37, with all the associated support facilities. Up to 76 Starship/Super Heavy launches and 152 Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage landings can be accommodated in a year at the site.

The environmental review stated that Starship operations would not cause significant environmental issues, with one big exception: noise. It made clear that noise from launch and landing could be quite a nuisance to those who live nearby. Still, it was determined that high-level noise zones would remain within Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and its neighbour, Kennedy Space Center, and also that in those areas, unreinforced buildings could still experience window damage in some events. 

For the nearby towns of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, the odds of property damage from sonic booms are extremely low, though small objects and windows might be affected. The pads at SLC-37 will join the two pads at Starbase, Texas, and another pad under construction at NASA's Launch Complex 39A. 

This decision is a complete reversal of an earlier plan to raze the complex, with SpaceX initiating the redevelopment process two years ago, according to WESH.com. Meanwhile, not everyone is celebrating. Some residents around the facility, located about 50 miles east of Orlando, are speaking out about safety issues regarding the loud noise and shaky ground during launches of the massive rockets.

"I live straight across the Indian River in Titusville," said resident Charlene Melcher to WESH.com. "During a regular SpaceX launch, I can sleep through it, [but] a heavy, I hear it." She added, "This one, I'm terrified it's gonna destroy my house." Those concerns are heightened by a recent setback when a Super Heavy booster exploded during ground testing in Texas. SpaceX earlier wanted to use Launch Complex 39 for Starship; however, the focus has shifted to SLC-37. The shifting of focus reportedly aims to help reduce the impact on the nearby residential areas.

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