Blue Origin said Oct. 16 it will add launch pads on Florida’s Space Coast while seeking a higher New Glenn launch rate at Launch Complex 36. The company has asked the Federal Aviation Administration to raise the permitted annual cadence at LC-36A from 12 flights to 50. Blue Origin is also building a second LC-36 pad for the New Glenn 9×4 configuration and expanding manufacturing and processing facilities in Florida.
What it means
LC-36A is being rebuilt after a static-fire explosion, while LC-36B is under construction to support New Glenn 9×4 launches. The 9×4 vehicle uses nine BE-4 engines on its first stage and four BE-3U engines on its upper stage.
Blue Origin’s $330 million Rocket Park expansion will add a 1.37-million-square-foot facility designed to support production of 150 upper stages each year. The company anticipates completing that facility by summer 2027. Blue Origin is also constructing a vertical integration facility near LC-36, developing a payload processing facility with the U.S. Space Force, investing in payload-fairing production and adding two landing vessels.
Ian Richardson, Blue Origin’s senior vice president of operations, said the infrastructure work is intended to support “multiple flights per week by the end of the decade.” Blue Origin said it has invested more than $3 billion in Florida facilities and infrastructure, with more than 5,000 employees and 500 Florida suppliers supporting its work across more than 20 sites in Brevard and Orange counties.
Key facts
- The FAA is considering Blue Origin’s request to increase LC-36A’s permitted annual launch rate from 12 to 50 flights.
- A virtual FAA public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22, and public comments close Oct. 30 during a 30-day comment period.
- Blue Origin said it will add new Florida launch pads, though it did not disclose their locations.
- LC-36B is under construction for New Glenn 9×4 launches.
- Blue Origin is investing $330 million in a 1.37-million-square-foot Rocket Park expansion, according to the company.
- The Rocket Park facility is anticipated to be complete by summer 2027 and support 150 upper stages annually, according to the company.
- The U.S. Space Force selected Blue Origin in April for final discussions on development of Space Launch Complex 14 on the West Coast.
Source: Spaceflight Now, reporting Blue Origin infrastructure plans