Blue Origin Expands Florida Launch Site for Bigger Rockets

Blue Origin is set to expand its launch operations at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida by adding a second launch pad. This new facility, designated LC-36B, will be engineered to support a more powerful variant of the New Glenn rocket, the New Glenn 9x4. The company has not yet provided a timeline for the construction of this new pad, which will also include essential infrastructure like a vertical integration facility and a payload processing facility.

Simultaneously, Blue Origin is focused on repairing LC-36A, the original launch pad damaged in a May 2026 static-fire test of a New Glenn rocket. This rebuilt pad will be utilized for the current New Glenn 7x2 model. The company is also implementing a revised operational approach, a hybrid concept of operations, for pad activities. This involves horizontal integration only for the first stage, with the upper stage and payload being stacked vertically on the pad.