NASA Kennedy Space Center has agreed to rent out its launch pad along Florida’s central east coast to Space Exploration Technologies Corp. for commercial launch activities.SpaceX will occupy, manage and maintain the Launch Complex 39A using its own funding for 20 years, NASA said Tuesday.
“With nearly 50 missions on manifest, SpaceX will maximize the use of pad 39A to the benefit of both the commercial launch industry as well as the American taxpayer,†said Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operations officer of SpaceX.
“While SpaceX will use pad 39A at Kennedy, about a mile away on pad 39B, we’re preparing for our deep space missions to an asteroid and eventually Mars,†added Charles Bolden, NASA administrator.
Launch Complex 39A used to be the launch site for NASA’s Apollo program and later for the Space Shuttle mission.
