WASHINGTON — The need to modernize U.S. spaceports has been discussed for years, but major upgrades have yet to materialize. With $1.3 billion in projected funding for spaceport improvements, the Space Force is now trying to move these plans forward, identifying the most critical areas needing attention in the near-term.
“There’s a significant effort to define what we need to be able to support the capacity and the pace of launch that our nation needs,” said Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, program executive officer for assured access to space and director of launch and range operations of Space Systems Command.
Based at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, Panzenhagen in June assumed command of Space Launch Delta 45, and oversees the nation’s busiest spaceport on the Florida coast.
Speaking Oct. 19 at the AFCEA Space Industry Days conference in Los Angeles, Panzenhagen expressed optimism that initiatives to bring East Coast and West Coast spaceports into the future could soon become reality. “It takes a lot of investment. It takes a lot of planning,” she said.
The Space Force has conducted a detailed analysis of spaceport requirements given the increased pace of commercial space launch, she said.
Increasing commerical launch pace
About 150 launches are forecasted for 2023, the majority conducted by SpaceX which is ramping up launches of its Starlink constellation as well as missions for commercial and government customers. The company is on track to launch more than 100 missions this year and projects about 144 for 2024.
Beyond 2024, the Space Force is preparing for an increased launch pace fueled not just by SpaceX but by other companies introducing new rockets, including United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin and others.
According to the consulting firm Deloitte, over the last five years, about 93% of all orbital missions launched from U.S. government ranges, including 70% from Cape Canaveral, 17% from…
Read the full article here