Report: Kennedy Space Center not ready for era of super heavy rockets

A report indicates that Kennedy Space Center faces significant infrastructure and operational challenges in preparing for the arrival of super heavy-lift rockets like SpaceX's Starship-Super Heavy, which require substantially different ground support systems and facilities than current vehicles. The findings suggest upgrades to launch pads, landing zones, environmental systems, and range operations are necessary to accommodate the scale and power of next-generation super heavy rockets. These infrastructure gaps could impact NASA's and commercial operators' timelines for launching large payloads and crew missions from Florida.

Source: Ars Technica | 2026-06-22