Florida Starship progress with launch sites at KSC and Cape

Date:
Tue, 20 Jan 2026 19:10:48 +0000

Description:
Although there has been a pause in launch operations as SpaceX transitions Starship to the The post Florida Starship progress with launch sites at KSC and Cape appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

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Although there has been a pause in launch operations as SpaceX transitions Starship to the Block 3 variant, the company continues to lay the foundations for a rapid launch cadence of its monster rocket out of Starbase and on the East Coast. Florida will see Starship launch out of LC-39A and SLC-37, with the former set to come online later this year.



At 39A the historic site once used for Apollo lunar missions and Space Shuttle flights crews have installed the shoulder section of the Ship Quick Disconnect (SQD) arm on the integration tower.

Rolled out just days earlier, this key piece enables propellant loading and umbilical connections for the Starship upper stage, with integration to the towers systems now underway. Public access limitations at the site prevent detailed close-up imagery. Still, ground cameras from NSFs Space Coast Live captured recent deliveries and installations of hold-down arms for the launch mount, which clamp the Super Heavy booster in place during countdown.

Protective hoods for the booster quick disconnects (BQDs) and shielding doors for post-launch umbilical retraction have also arrived.

A high-resolution Airbus Pleiades NEO satellite image, acquired by NSF contributor Harry Stranger and captured during NASAs SLS rollout to adjacent LC-39B for Artemis II, offered rare overhead detail of LC-39A.

It showed newly installed pump assemblies and subcoolers at the northern tank farm, propellant lines routed toward the tower, and several missing storage tanks evident from empty pads.

The photo also hinted at renewed use of an Apollo-era spherical tank, also used during the Space Shuttle era, to the northeast. Originally built for liquid hydrogen, the tank was later repurposed by SpaceX for methane storage with subcoolers and chill-down systems. However, the tanks associated
hardware was removed in prior years. Nevertheless, fresh propellant lines now point toward it, suggesting a possible return to active service.

Previously covered propellant pipes appeared uncovered again in the latest view, accompanied by staged green deluge pipes for flame suppression, with more deliveries observed on the ground. Flame trench walls continue rising, including a northeast section now aligned flush with the launch mount in a layout similar to Starbases Pad 2. Overall, LC-39As construction largely mirrors though delayed by several months the sequence completed at
Starbases Pad 2 in Texas.

At Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, site clearing and foundation work are underway for what is expected to become another Starship launch complex, potentially with two pads. The effort parallels early demolition and preparation at Starbases Pad 1. Inside the secure military base, visibility is limited, but background views from recent Falcon 9 Starlink launches from nearby SLC-40 revealed activity.

The massive LR13000 crane (previously used at LC-39A) is being reassembled to support tower erection, while a continuous flight augering drill installs foundation piles drilling holes, filling them with concrete, and inserting rebar cages following the same method seen at Starbases newer pads. While Floridas launch infrastructure trails Starbases Pad 2, the companys Gigabay manufacturing buildings tell a different story: the Roberts Road facility in Florida is advancing faster than its Starbase equivalent.

NASASpaceflights Julia Bergeron has tracked weekly progress at the Florida Gigabay from across the Indian River, and this week she teamed up with Starbase colleague Colleen Liedtke for side-by-side comparison shots from similar angles. Weekly Gigabay update but make it Battle of the Bays! I've teamed up with @colleenliedtke at Starbase so we can compare build progress from similar pov's. @NASASpaceflight views https://t.co/lIR57w4WqB https://t.co/LZvzx0tQRq pic.twitter.com/ysH2TOvIdl

Julia Bergeron (@julia_bergeron) January 15, 2026



Floridas structure has reached Level 4 on the western side the portion that will eventually adjoin the planned Starfactory. The eastern side, visible farther back, began later and is now starting Level 3.

At Starbase, the Gigabay remains at Level 3 overall. Construction on that level started centrally, with recent work focusing on rear sections facing
the Mega Bays; the front (toward Highway 4) is expected to be completed last.

These identical large-scale buildings are central to SpaceXs goal of dramatically scaling Starship production. When finished, each Gigabay should accommodate significantly more workstations than current Mega Bays, boosting assembly and refurbishment capacity to support far higher flight rates.

Floridas faster Gigabay progress highlights the states expanding importance
in the Starship ecosystem, complementing launch site work at LC-39A and SLC-37.

Lead image: Airbus Pleiades NEO satellite image, acquired by Harry Stranger Click here to support Harry Strangers continual purchase of satellite imagery



The post Florida Starship progress with launch sites at KSC and Cape appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



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Link to news story: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/01/florida-starship-progress-ksc-cape/


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