Jane Edwards
An environmental assessment from the Federal Aviation Administration projects a surge in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rocket launches in Florida in the next few years, SpaceNews reported Thursday.
SpaceX plans to perform 38 launches from two launch complexes in Florida this year, including 30 missions from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The company also projects up to 70 launches by 2023 with Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center accounting for 20 of those missions.
The FAA report forecasts 10 Dragon spacecraft re-entries annually beginning in 2022 and an increase in launch activity in Florida to support polar orbiting missions. The assessment also cited SpaceX’s proposed mobile service tower at LC-39A that would offer vertical integration for national security payloads.
SpaceX’s fielding of its Starlink satellite constellation is likely to increase the number of launches in the state, according to the report.
