SpaceX takes over rival’s old launch site in a power move to support near-daily flight goals
Space Launch Complex-37 (SLC-37), the historic launchpad that hosted United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket for its final flight just over a year ago, is now being demolished. This marks the end of an era for the heavy-lift rocket and the pad that facilitated its journey into space. This site will be repurposed for SpaceX's Starship, a move that further solidifies SpaceX's leading position over its competitors in the space industry, per Gizmodo.
Federal agencies, spearheaded by the Department of the Air Force, greenlit SpaceX's proposal to take over SLC-37 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. They concluded that adding SpaceX's launch infrastructure wouldn't significantly harm other companies in the industry. Ground crews are now set to begin dismantling the existing structures used by the Delta IV rocket, clearing the way for two imposing 600-foot-tall (180-meter) launch integration towers designed for Starship.
Built in the 1960s to support the Apollo program, SLC-37 is one of Cape Canaveral's largest launch pads. It played a crucial role in the space program, hosting Saturn I and Saturn IB rockets throughout the 1960s, and later the Delta IV from 2002 until its retirement last year. Since the Delta IV's final launch, the pad has been vacant, with SpaceX applying to acquire it in early 2024 to support the launch and landing operations of its fully reusable Starship-Super Heavy systems.
Currently, SpaceX tests its Starship rocket at its launch mount in Starbase, Boca Chica, Texas. The move to acquire SLC-37 clearly signals SpaceX's intention to broaden its megarocket's launch operations to Florida's Space Coast. This expansion also underscores the company's significant advantage as an industry leader, securing a prime location at Cape Canaveral. Understandably, SpaceX's growth is a concern for other aerospace companies. For instance, last year, Blue Origin expressed its concerns to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), recommending that the FAA limit the number of Starship launches from Launch Complex-39A at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida due to environmental concerns.
This takeover of a military launchpad by SpaceX also comes amidst a period of friction between company founder Elon Musk and the US administration. Following Musk's departure from a government position and the dissolution of his tumultuous relationship with Donald Trump, the fallout led to threats from President Trump about canceling SpaceX's government contracts. Despite this, the federal government remains heavily dependent on SpaceX. The company is a crucial industry leader, operating the highly reliable Falcon 9 rocket and possessing the only US-owned spacecraft capable of transporting astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). The government finds it challenging to sever ties with SpaceX, as demonstrated by its continued provision of valuable launch structures to the company.
Further emphasizing its ambitious trajectory, SpaceX aims to significantly increase its launch cadence, targeting an orbital mission almost every other day in 2025. According to Anne Mason, SpaceX's Director of National Security Space Launch, the company is aiming for 170 launches by the end of the year. This aggressive schedule would far exceed their previous record of 134 orbital liftoffs, which was set just last year, and directly correlates with their need for expanded launch infrastructure like the newly acquired SLC-37.
