WASHINGTON — The Department of the Air Force has approved plans to convert a former Delta 4 launch site at Cape Canaveral into a complex for SpaceX’s Starship.
In a record of decision dated Nov. 20, Michael Saunders, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for energy, installations and the environment, formally approved SpaceX’s proposal to redevelop Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for Starship launches.
The decision followed completion of an environmental impact statement, or EIS, on the proposal. The record of decision and the final EIS were posted last week on the project website. The Department of the Air Force did not otherwise announce the decision.
The U.S. Space Force, part of the Department of the Air Force, said in early 2024 it would study converting SLC-37 into a Starship launch site. Built in the 1960s for Saturn 1 rockets, the pad was later converted for United Launch Alliance’s Delta 4. The final Delta 4 Heavy launched from the site in April 2024.
Original plans called for studying the conversion of SLC-37 for Starship, as well as construction of a new Starship launch facility at a location designated SLC-50, a greenfield site between SLC-37 and SLC-40, which SpaceX uses for Falcon 9 missions. However, SLC-50 was removed from consideration during the study.
“While SLC-50 was under consideration during the early scoping phases of the EIS process, it was ultimately eliminated from detailed study after site archaeological surveys were completed and showed it was an area with high potential for archaeological sites and endangered species,” the final EIS stated.
The study found that building and operating a Starship launch pad at SLC-37 — including up to 76 Starship/Super Heavy launches per year and 152 landings of the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage — would generally have no significant environmental impact.
One key exception was noise from launches and landings. “Local communities could be exposed to relatively high-level noise and overpressure environments from the launch and landings of Starship and Super Heavy boosters,” the report stated. “Operations would have significant impact on community annoyance.”
The study concluded that zones of “significant structural damage” from noise and overpressure would be contained within Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and neighboring Kennedy Space Center. However, unreinforced buildings within those areas could be vulnerable.
“While upgrades and renovations have been made to infrastructure within CCSFS, it is important to recognize that some buildings were originally constructed to support legacy launch programs and vehicles from an earlier era. Consequently, impacts to windows or other structural elements are possible,” the report said.
Parts of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, Florida, would be within weaker overpressure contours generated by sonic booms from vehicle landings. The potential of damage to buildings, though, the study concluded, “is generally between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 100,000 which is considered extremely unlikely, though there is a higher potential to affect windows and bric-a-brac.”
SpaceX plans to build two Starship pads at SLC-37, along with supporting infrastructure. Those pads would join the two pads at Starbase, Texas, and another under construction at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.
“With three launch pads in Florida, Starship will be ready to support America’s national security and Artemis goals as the world’s premiere spaceport continues to evolve to enable airport-like operations,” SpaceX said in a statement following the approval.
SpaceX said construction at SLC-37 has begun but did not disclose when it plans to complete the facilities or conduct the first launch from the site.
