Space Force studies third US launch site for heavy-lift rockets by 2030
U.S. Space Force
Space Systems Command is exploring a third US spaceport by 2030 as demand outgrows Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg, says Lt. Gen. Garrant.
what happened
Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, head of Space Systems Command, said the Space Force has formed an operational planning team to examine standing up a third domestic spaceport for medium, heavy and super-heavy rockets by 2030, per Air & Space Forces Magazine and SpaceNews. Garrant said the team is evaluating options for buying or leasing federal, state or commercial land and will present proposals to NASA, the NRO and Space Force leadership. The White House's updated National Space Transportation Policy projects U.S. annual launch cadence could reach 1,000 by 2030, a fivefold increase over 2025.
why it matters
Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg are the only two national-security launch ranges, and a third site would reshape where launch providers, range-support contractors and satellite integrators plan future infrastructure investment. The study is still exploratory, Garrant himself called 2030 a goal rather than a commitment, but it signals the Pentagon expects current capacity to fall short well before then.
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- U.S. Space Force
- Category
- launch
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 4 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-10-22
- Published
- 2026-10-22 12:52 UTC