Blue Origin plans new launch pads in Florida

Blue Origin plans to build new launch pads on Florida's Space Coast for its large New Glenn rocket, Spaceflight Now reported on October 16, 2026. The company said the new pads will be modelled on Launch Complex 36 (LC-36), its existing site at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Spaceflight Now did not give their exact number or locations.

Ian Richardson, Blue Origin's senior vice president of operations, said the new facilities are designed to support several flights per week by the end of the decade. The company will also add two ships for landing boosters at sea, and it is building a hall near LC-36 to prepare returned boosters. Separately, Blue Origin is spending $330 million to expand a factory for the upper stages of a bigger New Glenn version, called 9x4.

At the same time, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reviewing a request from Blue Origin to raise the yearly launch limit at pad LC-36A from 12 to 50. A draft environmental assessment, a study of effects such as noise and air traffic, was released on September 29. It also covers engine tests, booster landings at sea and recovery of the nose cone. New Space Economy noted that 50 is a maximum under review, not a flight schedule. A public hearing is set for October 22, and comments close on October 30.

These plans come after a setback. In May 2026, a New Glenn rocket exploded during an engine test on the ground and damaged LC-36A. The pad is being rebuilt, and New Glenn has not flown since. Founder Jeff Bezos said the company still aims to fly again before the end of 2026. A second pad, LC-36B, is being built for the 9x4 version; Blue Origin has targeted late 2027 for it. The FAA has not said when it will decide on the 50-launch request.