More than a year ago, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) launched the final Delta IV heavy rocket from the Space Launch Building (SLC-37). It was the end of the era of heavy rockets and historic launch pads, which helped it reach the sky. This week, the SLC-37 will be demolished and repurposed to further consolidate SpaceX’s lead among its biggest competitors.
ARS Technica reported that a federal agency led by the Air Force approved SpaceX’s proposal to take over the SLC-37 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, noting that the company’s increase in launch pads would not have a significant negative impact on its industry competitors. The ground crew is expected to begin dismantling the launch pads, removing the structure used by the Delta IV Rocket, and laying space for two 600-foot (180-meter) flight ships.
The SLC-37 was built in the 1960s to support the Apollo Project. The launch pad is the largest launch pad in Cape Canaveral, hosted Saturn I and Saturn IB in the 1960s, from 2002 to last year’s Rockets retirement. Since then, the launch pad has been vacant and SpaceX has applied to take over it in early 2024. SpaceX wants to use the SLC-37 for launch and landing operations of its fully reusable Starship augmentation system.
The company is currently relying on its Starbase launch mountain in Bocachika, Texas to test its Starship rocket. The move shows that SpaceX wants to expand its Megarocket launch operations to Florida’s space coast. It also said the company’s main advantage as an industry leader, taking over the main position in Cape Canaveral. SpaceX’s expansion is targeted at other players in the industry. Last year, Blue Origin posted public comments to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), suggesting regulators have limited the number of launches of SpaceX Starship rockets from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, a concern for the surrounding area.
SpaceX’s takeover of the military launch pad was also when the company’s founder Elon Musk strengthened with the U.S. government. Musk left the administration’s stance and ended his toxic relationship with Donald Trump, the messy breakup led to the president’s threat to cancel SpaceX’s government contract. But the federal government relies too much on SpaceX as an industry leader, owns the most reliable rocket, The Falcon 9, and is the only U.S.-owned spacecraft that can transport astronauts to the International Space Station.
So far, it has been clear that the government cannot easily part ways with SpaceX as it handed over more launch structures to the company.
