SpaceX Gets FAA Approval to Increase Falcon 9 Launches From 50 to 120 at Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral is busiest spaceport in the world

BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION – SpaceX has cleared a major regulatory hurdle that will allow the company to dramatically increase the pace of its Falcon 9 launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Wednesday that it had approved SpaceX’s proposal to more than double its annual launch capacity at Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) from the current limit of 50 liftoffs to as many as 120.

The agency also signed off on plans for the company to construct a new landing pad to accommodate the return of up to 34 Falcon 9 first-stage boosters each year.

In its decision, the FAA determined that the expansion did not require a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), a lengthier and more stringent review that could have delayed construction by as much as two years.

Instead, the agency issued a “Finding of No Significant Impact” (FONSI), concluding that the project meets the standards of the National Environmental Policy Act without additional environmental studies.

The March draft environmental assessment outlined SpaceX’s vision for SLC-40: a new 400-foot-diameter landing pad surrounded by a gravel apron, a 30-foot pedestal for booster processing, a nitrogen gas line, and space for crane storage.

The proposed upgrades would add about 10 acres of development at the site and give SpaceX greater flexibility in managing its high flight cadence.

The approval is particularly significant as SpaceX continues to dominate the global launch market. The Falcon 9 completed a record number of missions in 2024, and the company has already logged multiple successful booster landings in 2025.

Most of those recoveries take place on droneships stationed in the Atlantic Ocean, but land-based returns offer faster turnaround times for rocket reuse.

So far this year, eight Falcon 9 boosters have touched down on land at Cape Canaveral. In 2024, SpaceX recorded 12 such landings, and in 2023 only six. By comparison, the new FAA approval technically allows for dozens more each year, although the actual number will depend on mission profiles and available infrastructure.

At present, SpaceX has relied on Landing Zone 2 (LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral for its terrestrial recoveries, after its lease expired on the adjacent Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1).

The new landing facility at SLC-40 is expected to provide a dedicated alternative as the U.S. Space Force pushes for a streamlined policy in which commercial launch providers use the same complex for both launches and landings.

That move would free up Launch Complex 13 (LC-13), which has been reserved for future operations by Phantom Space and Vaya Space, two companies still working to reach orbit.

The FAA’s decision on SLC-40 is separate from an ongoing review of SpaceX’s plans at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A. There, the company is seeking approval to build another landing pad and to increase annual Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches from 20 to 36, with up to 20 landings.

Combined, the expansions at Kennedy and Canaveral could eventually allow up to 56 booster returns per year — a number that raises the prospect of more frequent sonic boom warnings across Central Florida.

Even with the higher approved limits, the FAA stressed that all launch and landing licenses remain contingent on safety, risk management, and financial responsibility.

The decision also does not affect the agency’s separate environmental reviews for SpaceX’s Starship and Super Heavy rocket, which is currently only licensed to fly from Texas. Long-term plans call for Starship to operate from Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39A and Cape Canaveral’s LC-37, the latter previously used by United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV program.

The FAA’s approval marks a pivotal step in SpaceX’s effort to keep pace with its ambitious schedule. By boosting capacity at Cape Canaveral, the company will be better positioned to support its Starlink satellite deployments, commercial launches, government missions, and NASA contracts — all of which rely on the rapid reusability of the Falcon 9 system.

With this green light, SpaceX has moved closer to cementing Cape Canaveral as one of the busiest spaceports in the world.

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