Blue Origin, Relativity Space, Stoke Space, and more all completing major upgrades at Cape Canaveral

Date:
Fri, 18 Jul 2025 21:24:53 +0000

Description:
Numerous upgrades have been observed during NSFs recent flyover, as efforts continue to bring upgraded The post Blue Origin, Relativity Space, Stoke Space, and more all completing major upgrades at Cape Canaveral appeared
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Numerous upgrades have been observed during NSFs recent flyover, as efforts continue to bring upgraded systems online for commercial launchers, including SpaceX, Blue Origin, Relativity Space, Stoke Space, and ULA, as well as NASAs SLS.

Renovations of old launch facilities, new land leases, and other developments have also been seen from the sky, providing a glimpse of new and upcoming upgrades across the entire Space Coast.





Blue Origin

Blue Origin continues to break new ground at Exploration Park, located next to the KSC visitor center. Recently, they began raising the first frame and wall segments for what will become the metal forming facility.

In just a month and a half, Blue Origin has already completed the entire foundation and is raising the walls as it works toward establishing another manufacturing facility within the site. The first frame segments for what
will become the metal forming facility are raised. (Credit: Joe B for NSF)

The Lunar Plant One building is nearly ready to go online at the facility. This area will house and develop the planned Blue Moon lunar landers that
Blue Origin is building for NASAs Artemis program.

The first prototype of the MK1 Blue Moon lander was believed to have been built off-site at Blue Origins headquarters in Kent, Washington. This mid-module arrived at Exploration Park on June 26, so work is already progressing to create a lunar lander that will allow humans to land on the Moon.

Production of MK1 and MK2 Blue Moon will likely continue in this Lunar Plant One building from now on. Regardless, MK2 will need to be produced near Cape Canaveral because it is too large to transport on public roads. The Lunar Plant One building is finalized to begin work on MK1 Blue Moon lunar lander
at Blue Origins facility. (Credit: Joe B for NSF)

In the yard area, there were also two larger domes and several rings that could be assembled into a test tank. Adjacent to these, a fit check article was visible. One object was missing from inside the 2CAT (Second Stage Cleaning and Testing Facility), where the second stage was not being tested.

Since New Glenn is a relatively new vehicle, many upgrades are likely
underway on the first and second stages in preparation for its second launch, which will extend the interval between launches. What are believed to be COPV halves are spotted outside a garage bay in Blue Origins facility. (Credit:
Joe B for NSF)

LC-36 is now preparing for the testing of New Glenns second launch. Both the core stage and the second stage of the rocket are expected to undergo testing to confirm they are ready for the next flight. Since it is a new rocket, testing each component before flight is planned to ensure everything
functions properly.

LC-36 is versatile because it can test various components of New Glenn at the same pad. Although a new test area was spotted. Cryogenic pipes have been spotted along the test area for the lunar landers before any flights of the lunar missions. This will ensure that the MK1 and MK2 Blue Moon lunar landers are prepared for their missions to the moon. LC-36 receiving the beginnings
of preparations before testing on the NG-2 mission. (Credit: Joe B for NSF)

Project BEEP

Over at Exploration Park is a nearly 25-acre plot of land that NASA is subleasing. Originally, Firefly was planned to lease this land, but that no longer appears to be happening. The company leasing it has the code name Project BEEP.

It is possible that this could be an expansion of Blue Origins facilities, or it could belong to another launcher company, such as Relativity Space or
Stoke Space, or possibly another satellite company, since OneWeb is located just across the street. The lease will last for 30 years, with options for future negotiations for renewal, indicating that the company is expected to maintain a long-term presence in Cape Canaveral. One Web building with the Project BEEP plot to the right. (Credit: Julia Bergeron for NSF)

SLS Block 1B

Moving past Exploration Park, NASA has been progressing on the second mobile launcher needed for the SLS Block 1B vehicle. This larger and more powerful version of the SLS will be capable of sending larger and more complex
payloads to the Moon.

This SLS variant will be over 13 meters taller than the SLS Block 1 and will feature different areas for the swing arms due to the height, as well as numerous other upgrades. The tower has recently been completed to its full height, and two of the six swing arms are already visible on the tower. SLS Block 1Bs Mobile Launcher getting worked on to prepare it for a future mission. (Credit: Julia Bergeron for NSF)

Vulcan

ULA has been preparing for its upcoming USSF 106 launch. This will be the first launch for the new rocket carrying a United States Space Force payload, following recent approval to carry military payloads. Currently, the Vulcan that will fly on this mission is being stacked in the vertical integration facility at SLC-41. This version of Vulcan will feature four GEM 63XL rocket motors, marking the first time this configuration has flown.

A second vertical integration facility is under construction to produce Vulcan rockets at a faster pace. This new facility, named VIF-A, will help
ULA increase Vulcan production and accelerate launch schedules. ULAs vertical integration facility-A continuing to be raised. (Credit: Julia Bergeron for NSF)

LC-14

Stoke Space has been making significant progress at LC-14 in preparation for its rocket Nova. A horizontal integration facility now has all the support structure completed, and a new tower is being erected very quickly since it was first shown earlier last month. The launch pad and tank farm infrastructure are being built, and a new flame trench has been revealed, likely with all the concrete walls now in place. Stoke Spaces LC-14 launch site with an unfinished horizontal integration facility and a small tower built. (Credit: Joe B for NSF)

LC-16

Right next door, Relativity Space has been working on its launch pad as they upgrade what was once Terran 1s site to Terran Rs. A new large horizontal integration facility has begun installing its support struts for the
building. Terran R is a significantly larger rocket compared to Terran 1, so numerous upgrades to the facility are necessary before launch.

Relativity Space recently announced that a new foundation for a water tower has been completed. This water from the tower will be used to dampen the
noise produced by the 13 Aeon R engines on the rockets first stage during launch. Additionally, a new flame diverter pit is under construction, with
the east wall nearing completion last month. Relativity Spaces LC-16
receiving work with the struts of what will become the horizontal integration facility for Terran R. (Credit: Joe B for NSF)

SpaceX

Several upgrades to the Roberts Road Facility, including LC-39A and SLC-37, have been underway, preparing the Cape for Starship activities. Major
upgrades to tank farms and towers at LC-39A, including a flame trench, are
all officially in progress.

Additionally, the Florida Gigabay announced at SpaceXs The Road to Making
Life Multiplanetary update seems to be coming online faster than Starbases Gigabay. The East Coast is poised for an exciting future, not least with ongoing preparations for Starship's arrival!

This, and more, in the latest KSC/Cape Flyover via Julia ( @julia_bergeron ) and Joe ( @JoeB_Photos ).

https://t.co/gmuQ9EvBGh

1) LC-39A. 2) SLC-37. 3) OLM for 39A. 4) pic.twitter.com/Sgr6hH31Ul

NSF NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) July 17, 2025



If you want to read more about Starships activities at Cape Canaveral, Ryan Weber for NSF released an in-depth article on all the upgrades that have been made to prepare the Cape for Starships arrival.

Featured Image: Overview image of Cape Canaveral showing the Vehicle Assembly Building and the Mobile Launcher. (Credit: Julia Bergeron for NSF 100s of hi-res photos available to download for L2 members).



The post Blue Origin, Relativity Space, Stoke Space, and more all completing major upgrades at Cape Canaveral appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



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Link to news story: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/07/cape-flyover-071825/


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