Gov. Ron DeSantis congratulated SpaceX Monday after the aerospace company announced it was bringing Starship production and launch capabilities to the Space Coast of Florida.
"Congratulations to @SpaceX on your recently announced plans to bring Starship operations to Florida," DeSantis said. "With leading space companies—now including SpaceX—investing in the Free State of Florida, NASA should scrap their expensive new HQ in D.C. and consider moving to Florida as well."
According to its release, SpaceX is building a new integration facility called Gigabay next to its HangarX location at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Merrit Island. It also plans to build a Starship launch pad at the space center this year.
Specifically, Gigabay will stand 380 feet tall and include 46.5 million cubic feet of interior process space and 815,000 square feet of workspace. SpaceX also noted that Gigabay will support Starship and Super Heavy vehicles up to 266 feet tall, provide 24 work cells for integration and refurbishment work, and have cranes capable of lifting as much as 400 tons.
Current Gigabay production is expected to be complete and operational by the end of 2026.
SpaceX is headquartered in unincorporated Starbase, Texas in Boca Chica, Cameron County, near Brownsville. The aerospace company is in the Rio Grande Valley near the Gulf of America.
The Starship launch pad will be at Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX intends to conduct Starship's first Florida launch from LC-39A in late 2025.
"Expansion of Starship production and launch operations in Florida will enable SpaceX to significantly increase the build and flight rates for Starship, which will be the first rapidly and fully reusable launch vehicle in history," SpaceX said.
SpaceX emphasized production was being built at Kennedy Space Center as Environmental Impact Statements are worked out for potential Starship flight operations for LC-39A at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
"Access to space is a critical and growing need for U.S. national security, leadership in science, the country’s exploration goals, and for the growth of the economy. Starship will ultimately be responsible for sending millions of tons of payload to Mars – building a self-sustaining city to make humanity multiplanetary," SpaceX added.
