BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – SpaceX announced on Monday that they plan to launch their massive Starship rocket from Florida in 2025.
During a pre-launch webcast ahead of Monday’s scrubbed Starship launch, SpaceX officials said they plan to conduct a launch of the megarocket at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A.
“We’re also further expanding Starship operations into Florida, bringing production and launch capabilities to the Space Coast,” said Christopher Gebhardt, with SpaceX communication.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
According to a news release, the space agency also said they are building a production and integration facility called Gigabay next to its HangarX location at Kennedy Space Center.
According to the release, the Gigabay will stand 380 feet tall with about 46.5 million cubic feet of interior processing space with 815,000 square feet of workspace.
In addition to continued infrastructure development at Starbase, Texas, where SpaceX is headquartered, SpaceX is expanding its Starship operations in Florida, bringing Starship production and launch capabilities to the Space Coast → https://t.co/PYket6ALNO pic.twitter.com/akKEL6rXaA
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 3, 2025
“Gigabay will be able to support Starship and Super Heavy vehicles up to 81 meters (266 feet) tall and will provide 24 work cells for integration and refurbishment work, along with cranes capable of lifting up to 400 US tons,” the release read in part.
Officials said that site preparations for Gigabay in Florida have started, with construction targeted to be complete and the facility operational by the end of 2026.
According to the release, Space is building a Starship launch and catch site at LC-39A that will include “learnings” from their first two pads in Starbase.
“Starship is coming to the Space Coast! This $1.8B investment by @SpaceX at @NASAKennedy and Cape Canaveral is a MAJOR win for our community, bringing hundreds of high-quality jobs and cementing our spot as the leader in American spaceflight. The future of spaceflight is in Florida!” U.S. Rep Mike Haridopolos posted on social media.
On Monday evening, SpaceX attempted to launch Starship in Texas, but the countdown got down to the 40-second mark before it was halted.
The last Starship demo ended in an explosion over the Atlantic in January, with flaming debris streaming over the Turks and Caicos.