SpaceX lays out plan for first Florida Starship launch

During the live coverage of SpaceX’s Starship Flight 8, the company laid out an update to its plan to launch the massive vehicle from Florida. Some of the plans we’ve seen starting to take shape already were finally confirmed by SpaceX, such as the massive expansion of Roberts Road.

SpaceX plans to restart work on setting up a home for Starship launches from the Space Coast as soon as late 2025. The plan will be to finish work on building out Starship’s launch site at LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center, then barge over Starship boosters and ships from Starbase to build out a Florida “fleet.”

This will be a big task to get done this year as the LC-39A Starship pad, which halted construction before it could be completed, will use the Pad B design from Starbase. Currently, it’s a combination of Starbase Pad A with some changes, but it’s unknown what will need to be completely redone now that SpaceX has made several changes with Pad B.

One thing SpaceX did mention was coming is a flame diverter and trench like Pad B. After the first Starship flight, it was quickly learned that a flame trench with a solid diverter is needed to not completely destroy the concrete beneath the pad.

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While SpaceX is hoping to launch its first Florida Starship rocket by the end of this year, we don’t know how Flight 8’s early conclusion would affect that timeline. Also, SpaceX will need to gain the required environmental approvals from the FAA before such a launch could take place.

To build the future Starship rockets that will be needed for Florida’s fleet, SpaceX plans to construct the required Starship infrastructure to produce the vehicles. While the first few rockets might come from Starbase, SpaceX is already well underway with an expansion at the company’s Roberts Road facility.

SpaceX confirmed that it is building what is known as the “GigaBay” behind its Hanger X facility. This massive structure will serve as the high bay space for the final assembly of Starship rockets before heading to the pad. This GigaBay will be 380 feet tall and have 815,000 square feet of working space, plus meeting and work space on the top floor.

A GigaBay will be coming to Starbase as well, with both expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Also, SpaceX shared its plans to further build out its facility at Roberts Road to include its own version of Starbase’s Starfactory, so it can mass produce its own rockets. This will likely be in the area surrounding GigaBay that has yet to see any major work outside of land clearing as of yet.

Finally, SpaceX stated that it has been given access to the old Saturn 1 and Delta IV launch site, SLC-37. The site was previously leased to ULA for Delta IV and Delta IV Medium launch vehicles but was used by NASA for the Saturn 1 and 1B rockets of the Apollo Program.

Alongside LC-39A, SpaceX hopes SLC-37 will play a significant role in launching Starship once it gains approval to begin demolition and construction at the site.

Starship launches from Florida were never a surprise to those who have been following the program since its inception. If you remember, back when SpaceX first began Starship mockup production, it had two teams: one based in Boca Chica Village, now Starbase, and one in Cocoa, Florida, near Cape Canaveral. While Boca Chica built the Mark 1 prototype, Cocoa built Mark 2. Neither was destined to fly, but both served as key starting points to begin learning how to build such a vehicle.

Eventually, the Cocoa team was shut down and transferred to Starbase or other teams at the Cape.

While Florida’s Starship hardware was seemingly abandoned for SpaceX’s ambitions to build Starbase, it was truly never forgotten. Elon Musk and the company shared bits and pieces over the years that Florida would still be the home of Starship.

Starship’s Human Landing System plans given to NASA listed LC-39A as one of its launch sites. Also, for the last year, Musk has been discussing the goal of bringing Starship to Florida and turning Starbase into a research and development center for the system.

Will 2025 be its year? Given how space schedules slip, it’s unlikely. But the plan has been set, and the wheels are now in motion. Soon, the busiest spaceport in the world is going to get much busier. But that’s a story for another day.