SpaceX Expanding Historic Launch Complex 39A for Starship Operations

SpaceX is expanding NASA's historic Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida, to support upcoming Starship operations. The site, which originally launched the Apollo 11 moon landing and numerous Space Shuttle missions, has been leased by SpaceX since 2014 to handle Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy flights.

Built in the 1960s for the massive Saturn V rocket, Launch Complex 39A served as a cornerstone of U.S. crewed spaceflight before the Space Shuttle fleet was retired in 2011. After a competitive bidding process that included a protest from Blue Origin denied by the GAO in December 2013, SpaceX secured a 20-year exclusive lease on the facility.

"We want to utilize this historic ground to advance next-generation commercial space exploration and heavy-lift capabilities," stated company representatives during the initial transition period.

Since taking over the pad, SpaceX has constructed the Horizontal Integration Facility and modified the infrastructure to host frequent commercial and crewed missions to the International Space Station. Recent engineering updates focus heavily on preparing the complex for next-generation orbital transport vehicles.

As of November 2025, expansion efforts are underway to add two dedicated landing zones designed for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets to execute return-to-launch-site recoveries.