Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A)

LC-39A with Starship Launch and Integration Tower on the left and Falcon 9 on the right on the exisiting Falcon launch pad (Credit: NASA)

### Status

Starship Launch Site Under Construction. Falcon pad operational.

## Infrastructure

### See also

Starbase, Starbase Launch/Testing Site

The Kennedy Space Centern Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) is a launch pad at Cape Cannaveral on Merritt Island in Florida. It supported Saturn V launches during the Apollo program and was used for Space Shuttle from 1979. SpaceX is leasing the pad from NASA for its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets and is building a second launch site for the Starship/Superheavy rocket on pad 39A.

## History

After NASA opened up the pad for commercial use, Blue Origin and SpaceX both submitted a bid. Blue Origin requested shared non-exclusive use of the complex while SpaceX wanted to use it exclusively. On December 13, 2013, NASA announced the selection of SpaceX as the new commercial tenant. The agreement was signed on April 14, 2014, giving SpaceX the exclusive use for 20 years. Modifications for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches soon followed. The first launch was on February 19, 2017 for CRS-10.

## Starship

The company submitted and Environmental Assessment for launches with Starship from LC-39a in August 2019, including plans for the construction of additional structures that would be needed for this, such as tanks, launch pad and a landing zone that would be separate from the existing structures that support Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches. In 2019, SpaceX began working on substantial modification in order to prepare the pad for Starship launches. However, work on the new area soon came to a halt as SpaceX was concentrating work on it's site at Boca Chica, Texas (Starbase).

### August 2019 EIS

[section to be added]

Proposed layout and configuration:

### 03 December 2021 Update

On 03 December 2021, Harry Stranger observed movement around the area. Comparing Satellite imagery, he observed that "It appears SpaceX maybe dismantling the Starship mount at LC-39A". Furthermore, when comparing 2021 to 2020 imagery, "The ramp pieces of the flame diverter that were led on the ground are also now gone".

Elon Musk wrote on the same day on Twitter, that "Construction of Starship orbital launch pad at the Cape has begun", however, no time indication was given. On the question, whether this would still be at LC-39A, Musk answered yes. Furthermore, he added that it "Will have similar, but improved, ground systems & tower to Starbase."
A statement from NASA spokesperson Laura Aguiar was published by Michael Sheetz. According to this statement, SpaceX is allowed to develop the pad in accordance with the leasing agreement from 2014 within the boundaries of the pad. The necessary environmental assessment was conducted in 2019. This however includes only the construction; for launch and landing, another approval process would be necessary.

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennedy\_Space\_Center\_Launch\_Complex\_39A
2. ↑ https://twitter.com/Harry\_\_Stranger/status/1466796986372276227
3. ↑ https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1466797158737268743
4. ↑ https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1466801882765180930
5. ↑ https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1466851970443010056
6. ↑ https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1466853373089615879