tech
Report: Kennedy Space Center not ready for era of super heavy rockets
SpaceX has told NASA it plans to launch Starship every eight days from Kennedy.
TL;DR
- NASA's launch infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center and Wallops Flight Facility is aging and faces capacity limitations.
- Increased demand from private companies, particularly SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn, is straining NASA's resources.
- Outdated systems, such as the electricity distribution and gaseous nitrogen supply, are a significant concern.
- The number of annual launches and test firings is projected to exceed the number of days in a year by late 2028 or 2029.
- Budgets for construction and maintenance of launch-related infrastructure have decreased since 2021.
- Existing laws make it difficult for NASA to accept contributions from commercial companies for large-scale infrastructure projects.