up to 44 times this year. The place where all of these take-offs will come to life is NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the event making some big waves among their competitors.
However, recent events from Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance are suggesting that some regulations might arise in order to sustain the lowest level of disruption. These regulators are called for to maintain a safe and healthy environment, addressing launch providers from those areas.
Even more so, Blue Origin, the American aerospace manufacturer, is suggesting the implementation of some limits when it comes to Starship operations. Another suggestion made by Blue Origin is a mutual agreement for other aerospace companies when it comes to the refusal of launches that might be conflictual.
SpaceX, also known as Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, was founded in 2002 and has ever since proven amazing growth toward a future where space is no longer the unknown. The aerospace manufacturer has once more an ambitious plan for their next mission. Hopping for a second pad launch pad at The Space Launch Complex (SLC)-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). The CCSFS is one of the launch pads for NASA’s Saturn rocket from the 1960s.
The decision was made public numerous times this March, everyone is encouraged to comment on those plans as Starship would be looking forward to multiple launches reaching up to 76 times this year. This means that SpaceX is about to launch their spaceships almost 120 times only this year.
It is also worth mentioning that the U.S. Space Force is not very happy about the large number of launches SpaceX has prepared. The Space Force working on an environmental assessment that will be publicly released this winter, the document stipulating SpaceX’s final launch dates.
The number of launches can however vary depending on the advancements of the company. Another defining trait is represented by the number of scrub jay nests discovered in the area. The scrub jay is known to be the only species of bird native to the area, scrub jays being listed on the Endangered Species List.
As part of the Environmental Statement, everyone can contribute and comment on the matter, the comments regarding the SLC-37 have not been released to the public. Yet, some of the comments, coming from Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance, raised concerns over the large number of launches on their impact not only on the environment but also on organizations at Cape Canaveral and Kennedy.
The United Launch Alliance reported that “Just one Starship launch site is likely to disrupt other launch operations in the area and cause significant environmental impacts, as discussed in detail below. The impacts are certain to be amplified if coming from two launch sites in such close proximity,”.
Further writing “For example, SpaceX intends to conduct up to 44 launches per year from LC-39A. If SpaceX aims for a comparable number at SLC-37, that would lead to nearly 100 launches per year—or one every three days or so”.
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