Environmentalists are raising some concerns about a proposed launch and
landing site in Florida for SpaceX.
The proposed 175-acre site would be at the north end of Kennedy Space
Center, wedged between the historic pads built for moon rockets and
Canaveral National Seashore.
Land next to the proposed site, including the habitat of Merritt Island
National Wildlife Refuge, is “one of the most important birding sites in
Eastern North America,” Charles Lee, Audubon Florida’s director of advocacy,
told the Orlando Sentinel.
The development of the site and future launches could also cause prolonged
closures for roads leading to the beach.
Lee would not comment further, pending Audubon’s review of SpaceX's plans. A
formal and detailed study overseen by NASA of potential environmental
impacts from the rocket pad is poised to start in early 2022. The
environmental assessment by NASA will include public comment.
The addition of the launch and landing site for SpaceX’s Starship rockets
would be the most significant change to the Kennedy Space Center since the
mid-1960s, according to Tom Engler, director of center planning and
development for KSC.
The idea of developing the area was given conceptual approval nearly a
decade ago as part of an update of the space center’s master plan for
growth.
At the time, the public response to the master plan was generally supportive
since the center was in a lull with the retirement of the space shuttle
program. Final approval for development of the site will hinge on the
details of SpaceX’s proposal and the company’s ability to meet environmental
and permitting obligations, Engler said.
“It’s a pretty exciting time that speaks well of the thought process that went
into developing the master plan and we’ve been able to do this in a way that
honors the past and catapults us into the future,” Engler said.
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