SpaceX operates four active launch facilities across the United States as of September 2026, with two additional sites under development. The operational roster consists of Starbase at Boca Chica in Cameron County, Texas; Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida; Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida; and Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in southern California.
Two additional facilities are moving through development and environmental planning. SpaceX is preparing Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for future Starship flights once modifications at Launch Complex 39A are complete. In south-central Louisiana, SpaceX and state officials announced Starbase Louisiana in August 2026, a planned launch complex on coastal marsh near Pecan Island in Vermilion Parish designed for large-scale Starship flight operations.
Current SpaceX Launch Facilities Compared
SpaceX flies from a mix of its own sites and federal ranges. What flies from each, and what each is being built toward, differs by site as of September 2026. At OrbitalIntel, we compile this roster from public sources and update it as sites change.
| Site | Location | What Launches There | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starbase | Boca Chica, Cameron County, Texas | Starship | Operational; only site that has launched Starship |
| Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) | Kennedy Space Center, Florida | Dragon (transitioning), Starship (planned) | Operational; expanding for Starship |
| Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida | Dragon | Operational; taking over planned Dragon flights |
| Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) | Vandenberg Space Force Base, California | Polar launches | Operational; taking over neighboring SLC-6 |
| Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida | Starship (planned) | In development; planned after LC-39A |
| Starbase Louisiana | Vermilion Parish, Louisiana | Starship (planned) | Announced August 2026; construction targeted 2027 |
Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas
Starbase sits at Boca Chica in Cameron County, near Brownsville, at the southernmost point of Texas on the Gulf coast. The facility serves as the corporate headquarters for SpaceX as well as the manufacturing and flight testing center for the Starship vehicle. As of September 2026, Starbase remains the only facility that has launched Starship.
The surrounding community formally incorporated as the city of Starbase on 20 May 2025, with a population of about 500 residents. Ground transport relies entirely on State Highway 4, which is the only road leading into the site. Cameron County authorities close State Highway 4 during flight operations and static fire engine tests to protect public safety.
Spectators watch launches from Isla Blanca Park on South Padre Island, about five miles across the water, and what the public can actually reach on an ordinary day is a narrower question than it sounds. Our guide to Starbase in Texas covers the south Texas complex and municipal incorporation in detail.
Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center
Launch Complex 39A sits within NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on the Atlantic coast of Florida. It is a historic pad, and SpaceX is expanding the pad for Starship, positioning the site to become the second operational launch location for the vehicle.
As Starship work ramps up at the pad, SpaceX has been transitioning its planned Dragon flights away from Launch Complex 39A to Space Launch Complex 40.
Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral
Space Launch Complex 40 sits on federal land managed by the U.S. Space Force at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It is taking over SpaceX’s planned Dragon flights from Launch Complex 39A, and provides an operational launch pad on the Florida coast alongside Launch Complex 39A.
The operational role of Space Launch Complex 40 is expanding to absorb flights displaced by Starship construction at Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX has been transitioning its planned Dragon flights away from Launch Complex 39A to Space Launch Complex 40 instead. Moving those flights across the spaceport boundary maintains scheduled Dragon operations while Starship development ramps up at the neighboring pad.
Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 4E and Space Launch Complex 6
Space Launch Complex 4E sits at Vandenberg Space Force Base along the coast of southern California. SpaceX uses this Pacific installation specifically for polar launches that require flight trajectories over open water. Flying south from California allows rockets to reach polar trajectories without passing over populated landmasses during the initial climb.
SpaceX has also taken over the former Delta IV pad at Vandenberg, Space Launch Complex 6. The complex sits on the same military installation near Space Launch Complex 4E. SpaceX is currently demolishing legacy Delta and Space Shuttle infrastructure there to prepare the pad for future operations.
Space Launch Complex 37 Development in Florida
Space Launch Complex 37 is a second Cape Canaveral facility that SpaceX is developing for Starship in Florida. The complex provides additional launch capability at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX plans to fly Starship from Launch Complex 39A first and eventually from Space Launch Complex 37.
Developing two pads on the Florida coast gives SpaceX multiple orbital flight options for Starship over time. Ground preparations at Space Launch Complex 37 remain in development, with orbital flights planned to follow initial operations at Launch Complex 39A.
Starbase Louisiana in Vermilion Parish
On 25 August 2026, SpaceX and the State of Louisiana announced plans to construct Starbase Louisiana. The proposed facility sits on about 125,000 acres, or roughly 195 square miles, of coastal marsh near Pecan Island in Vermilion Parish. That location is roughly 50 miles southwest of Lafayette along the Gulf coast.
Louisiana Economic Development confirmed a stated project investment of more than $100 billion. The site is described as SpaceX’s fourth and largest launch facility. At full buildout the complex is designed for thousands of Starship launches per year, though reported pad counts vary across news outlets and nothing is built there yet.
Construction at Starbase Louisiana is targeted to begin in 2027, with the first launch targeted as early as 2029. Our guide to Starbase Louisiana examines the coastal location, project scale, and development targets in detail, and the state’s jobs and salary projections for the site are covered separately.
Why Launch Sites Sit on Coastlines
Launch complexes sit on coastlines primarily to provide downrange safety over open water. When a rocket ascends over the ocean, spent stages fall into unpopulated waters without endangering communities on the ground. Launches from these sites are licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Orbital inclination and planetary rotation also determine where spaceports sit. Launching eastward over the Atlantic from Florida, or over the Gulf of Mexico from Texas and Louisiana, takes advantage of Earth’s rotational velocity to boost payloads toward orbit. In contrast, Vandenberg sits in southern California where rockets can launch southward over open ocean into polar trajectories, as detailed in our guide explaining how rocket launches work.
Shared Federal Ranges and National Spaceport Infrastructure
SpaceX’s launch sites represent a specific portion of broader American launch infrastructure. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Kennedy Space Center, and Vandenberg Space Force Base are federal installations shared with other government and commercial operators. SpaceX operates individual complexes on those ranges alongside other users.
Shared federal spaceports require launch providers to coordinate pad access and launch windows around other range users. Starbase in Texas and the planned Starbase Louisiana site are SpaceX’s own sites rather than federal ranges, which is the clearest structural difference across the roster.
Planned Expansion and Operational Sequencing
SpaceX is expanding its Starship launch footprint through a phased sequence of pad developments. Establishing operational capability in Florida comes first, where Launch Complex 39A is expected to become SpaceX’s second active Starship launch site. SpaceX plans to follow that activation by developing Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral as an additional Starship pad.
Starbase Louisiana represents the next major expansion project planned for the end of the decade. Construction at the Vermilion Parish site is targeted to begin in 2027, with the first Starship launch targeted as early as 2029. To plan a trip to see Starship fly from the Gulf coast, read our guide on how to watch a Starship launch in person.