A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink 13-1 mission launches from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Jan. 21, 2025. (Robert Mason/U.S. Space Force)
(Tribune News Service) — Lifting the veil on a clandestine but highly anticipated expansion, SpaceX announced its plans to launch its powerful Starship from Kennedy Space Center later this year while building out more than $1.8 billion in infrastructure in Florida to support two launch sites.
Previously dubbed “Project Hinton” by Space Florida to conceal SpaceX’s identity, the massive investment is projected to bring 600 jobs with average wages of $93,000 a year to the region by 2030.
“SpaceX was founded with the ultimate mission of making humanity multiplanetary and Starship is the vehicle that will enable us to become a spacefaring civilization,” said Kiko Dontchev, SpaceX’s vice president of launch. “Through this significant expansion of Starship production and launch capabilities in Florida, we’re taking a big step toward achieving this goal, and we are grateful to our partners across the state for their ongoing support.”
The announcement counters several rounds of bad space-related employment news in recent months including layoffs at Boeing and Blue Origin coupled with workforce reductions at NASA under President Trump’s purge of federal government agencies. It also underscores the commitment of SpaceX to its Florida location even as it expands rapidly at its original Starship launch site, called Starbase, in Texas.
The state’s aerospace finance and development authority late last year approved up to $65 million in state funds to help stimulate the secretive project — although many surmised even before the announcement that it was to benefit Elon Musk’s desire to have new launch sites for his massive rocket.
SpaceX had already been building out a launch tower for Starship at KSC Launch Complex 39-A while pursuing the right to construct a Starship pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 37.
“We plan to complete the Starship launch pad at Pad 39-A this year, and pending the completion of environmental reviews, SpaceX intends to conduct the first Starship launch from Florida from Launch Pad 39-A later this year,” SpaceX commentator Dan Huot said during the company’s latest test launch attempt from Texas.
Initial Starship tower construction at KSC’s Pad 39-A began in 2022 but stalled as the company refocused initial test launch efforts in Texas, where it’s also building a second pad.
“In the coming months, teams will build and install the pad’s deflector system, which provides cooling and sound suppression water during Starship launches and catches,” the company posted on its website. “This new deflector will be nearly identical to the one being installed to support the second launch pad at Starbase.”
The KSC and Canaveral sites are under environmental impact reviews. Canaveral’s SLC-37 was previously used by United Launch Alliance, but that company performed its final Delta IV Heavy launch there last year.
“SpaceX has been given a limited right of entry for Pad 37 to conduct further due diligence at the site in order to move forward with the environmental impact study that’s being led by the Department of the Air Force,” Huot said. “Ultimately, we will have production integration, refurbishment and launch facilities in both Florida and Texas.”
Two major infrastructure builds already happening in Texas and Florida are a pair of processing facilities SpaceX calls “Gigabays.”
Each Gigabay will be 380 feet tall with about 46.5 million cubic feet of interior processing space and 815,000 square feet of workspace. The Florida location will be built adjacent SpaceX’s Hangar X on KSC property.
“As the name implies, will allow us to process more Starships at the same time over our current Megabays,” Huot said.
In comparison, KSC’s Vehicle Assembly Building is 525 feet tall with an interior encompassing 129 million cubic feet amid a base of 344,000 square feet.
The space will have a ground level, elevated platform work areas and a top floor of work and meeting space. Workspace of up to 266 feet tall will allow for support of Starship and Super Heavy rocket stages separately. When stacked at the launch pad they combine to be 403 feet tall.
The site will have 24 work cells for integration and refurbishment work along with cranes capable of lifting up to 400 tons.
The workspace is about 11 times bigger than SpaceX’s Megabay complex currently in use in Texas — with 19 more work cells and twice the crane lifting capacity.
Florida’s Gigabay, as well as one in the works in Texas, are planned to be completed by the end of 2026.
In addition to Gigabay, SpaceX is in the design-and-planning stage for a manufacturing facility similar to Starfactory in Texas where it builds the rocket’s two stages. Before it’s complete, SpaceX will have to transport the stages from Texas to Florida by barge to build up a fleet on the Space Coast.
“With production, integration, refurbishment, and launch facilities in Florida as well as Texas, we will be in a position to quickly ramp Starship’s launch rate via rapid reusability,” the company posted on its website.
Environmental impact studies for the Florida sites started in 2024 are expected complete this year.
“SpaceX’s Gigabay project helps advance Florida’s mission to solidify our state as the world’s hub for aerospace commerce,” Space Florida CEO Rob Long said. “It builds on the foundation we’ve laid over the past decade and accelerates our vision for the future — one where Florida is the choice for the best minds, the boldest innovators, and the most forward-thinking investments.
“Success in space requires a holistic approach to infrastructure, strategy, and talent, and Florida is leading the way.”
SpaceX’s plans are to build up infrastructure in Florida and potentially other launch sites to get to hundreds and eventually thousands of Starship launches a year — part of Musk’s goal of creating a colony on Mars.
“Florida is the present and future of the space industry with leading space companies — like SpaceX — investing in the ‘Free State of Florida,’” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “We welcome SpaceX’s Starship to our state.”
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