SpaceX currently operates its Falcon family of commercial space launch vehicles, the Falcon 9 and the Falcon Heavy, from launch complexes at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), and Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB). The Falcon 9 vehicle is 229 feet tall and has a diameter of 12 feet. The vehicle’s first stage returns to earth (either at a terrestrial landing zone or on a drone ship in the ocean), while the second stage delivers a payload to orbit and either remains in orbit or disintegrates upon reentry to the atmosphere. The Falcon Heavy vehicle is the same as the Falcon 9 vehicle with the addition of two additional first stage boosters. Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy potential payloads include satellites, experimental payloads, and SpaceX’s Dragon reentry vehicle. 

SpaceX Falcon Program at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

KSC is located on Florida’s east coast, midway between Miami and Jacksonville on Merritt Island, Florida, and is north-northwest of Cape Canaveral. KSC is approximately 34 miles long and roughly 6 miles wide, covering 219 square miles. Currently, SpaceX launches the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy from KSC Launch Complex (LC) 39A, which previously supported Space Shuttle launches. 

SpaceX also launches the Falcon 9 from CCSFS Space Launch Complex (SLC) 40. CCSFS occupies approximately 15,800 acres of land on Florida’s Cape Canaveral barrier island and is approximately 4.5 miles wide at its widest point. CCSFS adjacent to KSC to the south and has 81 miles of paved roads connecting various launch support facilities within the centralized industrial area.

Environmental Documents

In progress:

• The FAA is preparing an EA to analyze SpaceX’s proposal to increase the annual number of Falcon 9 launches at SLC-40, construct Falcon 9 landing zone (LZ) at SLC-40, and conduct Falcon 9 first-stage booster landings at this LZ. Additional project information can be found here.

Completed:

• In July 2020, the FAA published the Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the SpaceX Launch Licenses at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (2020 EA). The 2020 EA analyzed the potential environmental impacts of issuing modifications to SpaceX’s existing launch licenses to conduct Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches from LC-39A and SLC-40, as well as Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy first stage booster landings at CCSFS Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1/LZ-2). The 2020 EA analyzed up to 20 launches per year of Falcon vehicles (with a maximum of 10 of these being Falcon Heavy vehicles) eat LC-39A and up to 50 launches per year of Falcon 9 vehicles from SLC-40. Of the 81 annual first stage booster landings analyzed (1 per Falcon 9 vehicle and 3 per Falcon Heavy vehicle), up to 54 boosters per year would land at LZ-1/LZ-2 and up to 27 would land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The FAA determined that no significant impacts would occur as a result of the Proposed Action and issued a FONSI in 2020.

SpaceX Falcon Program at Vandenberg Space Force Base

VSFB occupies 99,604 acres of central Barbara County, California, and is located approximately halfway between San Diego and San Francisco. VSFB SLC-4E is the existing Falcon 9 launch facility. SpaceX conducts landings of first stage boosters at SLC-4W or on a droneship southwest of VSFB in the Pacific Ocean. 

Environmental Documents

In Progress

• In December 2024, the Department of the Air Force (DAF) issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Authorizing Changes to the Falcon Launch Program at Vandenberg Space Force Base in the Federal Register. This EIS will evaluate the potential effects associated with redeveloping SLC-6 to support Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy operations and increasing the Falcon 9 annual launch cadence from 50 to 100 launches per year. The FAA is a cooperating agency for the preparation of this EIS and will independently consider the effects of the action before adopting the document and issuing its own Record of Decision (ROD).

Recently Completed

• In November 2024, DAF published the Final Environmental Assessment Falcon 9 Cadence Increase at Vandenberg Space Force Base (2024 EA). The 2024 EA evaluates environmental impacts of increasing the Falcon 9 annual launch cadence from 36 to 50 launches per year at SLC-4, increase Falcon 9 first stage and fairing recovery activities, and expand the recovery area in the Pacific Ocean. Up to 12 boosters per year would continue to land at SLC-4. The FAA is a cooperating agency on the 2024 EA and may release a FONSI upon independently considering the effects of the action and adopting the document.
• In May 2023, DAF published the Final Supplemental Environmental Assessment Falcon 9 Cadence Increase at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California and Offshore Landing Locations (2023 SEA). The 2023 SEA evaluated environmental impacts of increasing the annual cadence for SpaceX Falcon 9 operations at VSFB and first stage booster landings at SLC-4W or offshore. The 2023 SEA analyzed up to 36 launches per year, with up to 12 first stage landings at SLC-4W and all remaining landings on a droneship. The FAA was a cooperating agency on the 2023 SEA and issued a FONSI in June 2023.