Space Florida Approves Funds for Cape Launch Pad Upgrades

Artist concept of CST-100 and Atlas V on launch pad. (Credit: Boeing)

Florida Today reports on Space Florida putting up $6.4 in matching funds for state Department of Transportation improvements on two Cape Canaveral launch pads:

The more costly of the two, shielded under the code name Project Mountain, has Space Florida putting up $6.15 million for improvements to Launch Pad 41, including a new tower to make the facility capability of servicing human flights.

The pad is now used for unmanned Atlas rocket launches.



In return, the state expects the unnamed company to spend up to $100 million on capital improvements within two years and bring in at least 50 high-wage workers, Haug said.

The work at Launch Pad 36, which for more than 40 years was used for Atlas rocket launches, including the Pioneer, Surveyor and Mariner probes, is for an unnamed company referred to as Project Pineapple that is anticipated to spend $34 million at the site and employ 100 people within five years.

The state’s money, $250,000, would go to upgrades in safety, the block house annex and the communications system at the site, along with construction of a new fuel and oxidizer storage area, test pad and landing pad.

The company is expected to build a flight launch test site, Haug said.

The Launch Pad 41 project appears to develop the facility for Boeing’s CST-100 spacecraft, which NASA has selected to provide commercial crew transportation services to the International Space Station.