Image: Kiko Dontchev
SpaceX is pushing ahead on its new Starship infrastructure in Florida, and the latest update from company leadership shows just how quickly work is moving. Kiko Dontchev, SpaceX’s Vice President of Launch, shared fresh images and a progress update on X this week, noting that the Starship launch mount at Launch Complex 39A has now been moved and stacked onto the pad — a major milestone completed less than two weeks ago.
Dontchev added that he “can’t wait for the first V3 Starship launch and soon after, the first Starship launch from the Cape,” signaling just how close SpaceX is to expanding Starship flight operations to the East Coast.
The update comes after SpaceX revealed in September that it would construct new Starship launch pads at Cape Canaveral, including at the Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) and the iconic Space Launch Complex 39A (SLC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Center. The expansion reflects the company’s growing confidence in the program as it transitions from development to higher flight cadence.
Starship’s next chapter is already underway. SpaceX retired the Starship V2 design last month with its 11th flight test, which successfully achieved all objectives. The company is now preparing to debut its next-generation Starship V3 design, potentially before the end of the year. Elon Musk has previously said V3 will enter heavy flight activity in 2026, laying the groundwork for even more rapid development cycles. According to Dontchev, the first Starship launch from Cape Canaveral will come shortly after the initial V3 test flight.
Beyond launch infrastructure, SpaceX recently detailed its progress on the Starship Human Landing System (HLS) being developed for NASA’s Artemis program. The company says it has already completed 49 milestones toward the first crewed lunar landing in more than 50 years, putting Starship on a fast track toward supporting astronaut missions on the moon.
SpaceX’s ramp-up at Cape Canaveral works toward the company’s broader goal: increasing launch throughput, distributing flight operations beyond Starbase, and accelerating the development of the Starship system ahead of the busy years to come.
