Elon Musk and company have some interesting ideas for NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, and it appears that the space agency sees them that way. Earlier this week, NASA published SpaceX’s futuristic plans for the KSC, which include a massive hangar for refurbishing used Falcon boosters and other parts, a so-called “rocket garden” showcasing the company’s own “historic” rockets and spacecraft, and a flying saucer-like control tower that will allow for the close observation of launches and landings.
SpaceX’s planned Kennedy Space Center expansion was first reported on by Florida Today space reporter James Dean, who wrote that the changes drafted might be implemented “sometime in the not-too-distant future.” According to the company’s draft review, SpaceX is hoping to expand its presence in the KSC, as it looks forward to a “complete local, efficient, and reusable” launch vehicle program, where it will be able to store used Falcon rocket parts and refurbish them for future use at the KSC’s operations center.
If constructed, the Falcon hangar will measure approximately 133,000 square feet and could help SpaceX save a substantial amount of money per launch.
“As SpaceX’s launch cadence and manifest for missions from Florida continues to grow, we are seeking to expand our capabilities and streamline operations to launch, land and re-fly our Falcon family of rockets,” explained SpaceX spokesman James Gleeson, in a statement.
BREAKING: SpaceX planning major expansion at KSC with new hangar for booster and fairing storage/refurbishment, launch and landing control center tower, and rocket garden: https://t.co/Fb0EfrdCVp pic.twitter.com/jAmf52RP83
— James Dean (@flatoday_jdean) June 8, 2018
According to Business Insider , SpaceX’s draft review also includes the aforementioned “futuristic” control center tower, which is expected to stretch up to 300 feet high, and serve as a means to monitor launches and landings at the Kennedy Space Center, and the “rocket garden,” which appears to be a museum of sorts for used Falcon boosters, Dragon spaceships, and other notable SpaceX vehicles.
Commenting on the planned components of the Kennedy Space Center expansion proposal, Inverse noted that the control center tower could also be used to help SpaceX “assert [its] dominance” as the leading private company working closely with NASA on various projects., and that the “rocket garden” could “give dramatic testimony” to the company’s strong presence in the field of space exploration.
At the moment, SpaceX’s Kennedy Space Center expansion is merely a drafted proposal, with the public having one month to issue a comment on the company’s plans. Florida Today also noted that there was no specific timeline or budget given for the completion of what SpaceX is calling its “Operations Area.” The plans, however, mark yet another attempt on SpaceX’s part to continue establishing itself in the space travel industry, as the company raised over $500 million and got the green light to construct a California facility to manufacture reusable Big Falcon Rockets for potential Martian travel, according to Business Insider .
