CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — It was a surprise to many rocket fans as Space Launch Complex 37 was demolished on Thursday morning.


What You Need To Know

  • Space Launch Complex 37 has been around since the Apollo era

  • The site will be home to SpaceX's Starship rocket

The blockhouse where the Delta rockets were stored at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station came tumbling down on Thursday morning, which was captured by photographer Michael Seeley.

Emre Kelly, media operations chief for Space Launch Delta 45, explained that once United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) lease of Space Launch Complex 37 expired, the infrastructure at the launch site was turned over to the U.S. Air Force.

“The infrastructure at the SLC-37 launch site was designed and constructed to support the unique requirements of the Delta IV Heavy program. The DAF identified specific infrastructure that would need to be demolished regardless of which company holds the next lease for SLC-37,” he explained to Spectrum News in an email.

He added that the demolition of Space Launch Complex 37 was authorized by the U.S. Air Force “as being in the best interest of the government.”

The famed complex was recently home to United Launch Alliance’s Delta rockets until last year with the final launch of Delta IV Heavy rocket.

Originally named Launch Complex 37, it was built during the Apollo era where Launch Pad 37A was never used, but it was Launch Pad 37B that saw all the action: From Saturn 1 and Saturn 1B launches to Delta IV and Delta IV Heavy takeoffs from 2002 to 2024.

"ULA launches both Atlas and Vulcan rockets from SLC-41 in Florida and is renovating Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California for future Vulcan launches," stated ULA's Strategic Program Communications Director Julie Arnold to Spectrum News. 

The U.S. Air Force recently released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for SpaceX’s Starship, where it also studied the potential environmental effects in the re-development of Space Launch Complex 37.

“If the Proposed Action were implemented, SpaceX would redevelop SLC-37 at (Cape Canaveral Space Force Station) to support Starship-Super Heavy launch and landing operations,” the report stated.

SpaceX plans to construct a new launch pad at the site and hopes to have 76 launches of the Starship-Super Heavy and have 152 landings (76 per Starship the spacecraft and 76 per the Super Heavy rocket booster).

It also means that people in the Space Coast will see Starship being caught by the launch tower’s chopsticks, also affectionally known as Mechazilla.

However, Kelly pointed out that, “No leasing decision will be made until the Starship-Super Heavy operations Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is complete.”

The FAA is in the process of creating its own environmental impact study for another Starship launch site at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.

Spectrum News reached out to SpaceX with questions and have not yet heard back.

U.S. Air Force's Draft Environmental Impact Statement on SpaceX's Starship

 

Anthony Leone - Digital Media Producer

Anthony has a long career as an editor and reporter for newspapers and news websites. He has covered general and breaking news, crime, and politics. In addition, he also covers space and rocket launches, where he has won awards for this coverage.

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