SpaceX Plans to Build More Launch Sites for the Starship Rocket in the USA and Abroad
As we wrote in previous days, the twelfth launch (Flight 12) of the SpaceX Starship rocket is currently scheduled for May 20 at 12:30 AM (Italian time). The company is conducting final tests and preparations ahead of the launch from Pad 2 at Starbase in Texas. This is an important mission that will demonstrate how the third generation of the fully reusable vehicle has matured and the hardware innovations introduced will increase the launch cadence. A crucial moment for SpaceX (due to its stock market listing) but also for the Artemis program, in view of the third mission planned for the second half of 2027.
When SpaceX announced the new launch of Starship, it was officially confirmed that the US company is acquiring new land to build dedicated launch pads for the new rocket. Currently, Pad 1 and Pad 2 at Starbase (Texas) are operational, with the first undergoing upgrades while the second will be inaugurated with Flight 12 in the coming days.
Future SpaceX Starship Launch Pads
However, the company's plans are decidedly more ambitious. SpaceX is considering the possibility of launching Starship multiple times a day from different launch sites for missions both in low Earth orbit and into deep space (Moon and Mars) but also as transportation from one point to another on Earth, a solution also evaluated by the Department of War (DoW, formerly DoD) for troop and cargo movements.
The news originated from a real estate agent from Keaty Real Estate who stated that SpaceX is acquiring land in Louisiana. Initially, the information was unverified, although plausible. Shortly thereafter, the company confirmed its interest in the sites, even though plans are still being finalized.
SpaceX wrote, "It is no secret that we intend to launch Starship many times, with the goal of thousands of flights per year. That pace will require the ability to launch from many different locations, so we are constantly exploring to find valid sites to expand Starship operations in the future, both domestically and internationally," a concept further emphasized by Musk.
Some of the launch sites that have arisen or could be built in the coming years include: the launch sites Pad 1 and Pad 2 at Starbase. A launch pad is being constructed at Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Center. Nearby, two launch sites, Pad A and Pad B, will be built at the Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. In Louisiana, there will be at least one launch pad at Pecan Island (as noted above), although the site may further expand as SpaceX's needs grow. At least one launch site is planned in California, at the Vandenberg Space Force Base.
In addition to these pads, sites could be built in other areas of the world (for example, in Australia), but there are no official confirmations regarding the chosen locations. Further down the line and with the increase in Starship launches, the company may revisit the idea of modifying oil platforms to launch the vehicles in areas far from the coast. Such a project was underway between late 2020 and 2021 but was abandoned in 2023. Besides a large payload capacity, this vehicle promises to be quickly reusable, surpassing Falcon 9’s rates. Being a complex project, timelines are uncertain, but if all goes as planned, a new era will open not only for space exploration but also for the space economy.