SpaceX is proposing a roughly 400-acre campus near Roberts Road at Kennedy Space Center for Starship production and support work, WESH reported on October 23, 2026. The proposed facilities would cover manufacturing, testing, payload processing and refurbishment. WESH reported that NASA’s environmental review was not final approval as of that date.
What the proposed campus would do
WESH reported that the plan includes manufacturing and maintenance buildings, warehouses, offices, roads, parking, utility systems and a payload-processing facility. Proposed operations would also include storage, refurbishment, shipping and receiving, and other launch support.
A proposed Starship test stand could support pressure tests and engine firings before vehicles are transported to launch sites. Those activities, like the rest of the campus functions, are part of the proposal.
How the proposed area compares with SpaceX’s lease
WESH reported a proposed area of roughly 400 acres and an existing SpaceX lease of about 167 acres from NASA near Roberts Road. If the 400-acre figure describes the campus’s total footprint, that would be about 233 acres more than the current lease, or roughly 2.4 times its area. The calculation uses rounded figures and depends on that total-footprint interpretation.
Environmental review and approval status
WESH reported that a preliminary draft programmatic environmental assessment dated October 13, 2026, was under NASA review. The assessment was reported to consider wetlands, wildlife, water resources, traffic, noise, air quality and cultural resources. WESH also reported that NASA’s review was not final approval as of October 23, 2026.
Phased development and projected workforce
WESH reported that development would proceed in phases. Planning figures cited in its report projected about 3,300 workers at full buildout in 2045.
