Space Coast on track to break record for number of rocket launches in a year

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Published  October 21, 2024 11:46pm EDT
FOX 35 Orlando
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Can Kennedy Space Center keep up with space launches?

Weekly space launches from Kennedy Space Center in Florida have become a routine event -- a worthy testament to the advancement in the U.S.'s space exploration, space technology, and innovation. Can Kennedy Space Center handle the amount of rocket launches as more companies look to get into the space race? Is expansion an option? FOX 35's Esther Bower reports.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - The Space Coast is on track to break the record for the number of rocket launches this year, and experts predict that trend will continue.

"We used to be thrilled with 20 launches a year, and now we're doing four to five times that," said Dr. Don Platt, Associate Professor at Florida Tech. "It's almost surreal."

Kennedy Space Center officials say they've been preparing for this surge in launches as part of a long-term vision laid out in 2014. 

"This aligns with the Kennedy Space Center Master Plan," said Tom Engler, director of the Center Planning and Development Directorate. 

The plan aimed to have five commercial human spaceflight companies on site by 2025. So far, four are already operating.

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"It's an environment that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world," Engler said.

To keep up with the increasing demand, upgrades are underway at both Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. These improvements include new launch sites, strengthened roads, expanded electrical grids, and enhanced natural gas infrastructure.

Engler noted the importance of both private and government investments in supporting these developments. Additionally, the Kennedy Space Center is focused on fortifying its facilities against natural disasters, including hurricanes, to ensure the protection of launch pads, rockets, and payloads.

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