To Be Used For Commercial Launches
A landmark announcement by the US
Air Force and the state of Florida Thursday should dramatically
expand the state's position and prominence in aerospace and the
space industry in the civil, military and commercial sectors.
Space Florida tells ANN that Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station, subject to completion of the environmental
impact analysis process, will be re-built as a multi-use vertical
launch complex capable of supporting several launch vehicle
configurations ranging from light to medium-lift into low-Earth
orbit and beyond.
"Florida has a great legacy in aerospace, a great foundation to
build on, and that is one more reason we are so committed to
expanding our capability to launch from Florida and from the United
States," Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp said. "We have worked closely
with the Air Force over the past several months and look forward to
a strong, long-term relationship as we build these safe commercial
launch processes together."
"The Air Force assignment of Launch Complex 36, is an important
next step to extending access to space, making it available to
defense and security initiatives and multiple commercial payload
and launch activities for both civil and private space businesses
that wish to launch from Florida," said Steve Kohler, president of
Space Florida.
"One of Space Florida's next objectives is to establish a
Commercial Launch Zone (CLZ) for commercial customers wishing to
operate from the Eastern Range. The creation of a CLZ expands our
ability to support commercial payload launch services, re-supply
missions to the International Space Station, and aggressively
diversify aerospace business development rapidly and efficiently,"
Kohler said.
In addition to supporting a greater number of launch customers,
the CLZ may attract other segments of the aerospace industry
necessary to support flight operations that will benefit the entire
state of Florida.
"The assignment of Launch Complex 36 will be an important
milestone and part of a broader strategy to establish a CLZ at the
Cape," added Kohler. "The Commercial Launch Zone is intended to
enable space industry located at the Cape and in Florida to be more
competitive in the global economy."
Launch Complex 36 was opened for business by NASA in 1961 and
was most recently used as a military and commercial Atlas launch
site. The US Surveyor, Mariner and Pioneer missions to the Moon,
Mars, Jupiter and Saturn and other destinations were launched from
this complex, followed in later years by weather satellites,
military space assets and commercial satellite missions.
The final rockets launched from Launch Complex 36 in 2004, and
the Air Force shut down the complex.
The agreement marks the second commercial application for a
launch installation at the Cape.
As ANN reported, in November 2007 fledgling
commercial launch provider SpaceX broke ground at Space Launch
Complex 40 (SLC-40), which will be used as the primary launch site
for SpaceX's upcoming Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Operations are
slated to begin later this year.