SpaceX's Gigabay facility rises in Florida ahead of Starship launches
SpaceX’s 380-foot Gigabay facility is under construction at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center to prepare Starship rockets for launches, with completion expected by August 2026. The facility supports NASA’s Artemis lunar lander program and future Space Force missions, alongside private satellite deployments like Starlink.
SpaceX’s new Starship maintenance facility, named Gigabay, is rising at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 380-foot-tall structure, visible from Titusville, is part of SpaceX’s preparations for Starship launches from Pad 39A and Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Construction began in Fall 2025 and is set to finish by August 2026, aligning with NASA’s Artemis program timeline, which may use Starship as a lunar lander starting in 2028. The Gigabay will stack and prepare Super Heavy boosters, similar to SpaceX’s Texas facility. Starship, when fully assembled, will exceed 400 feet in height. The facility also supports NASA’s Launch Services Program for future science missions and private ventures like Starlink satellite deployments. SpaceX is manufacturing Starship components in Florida, including 1,000 heatshield tiles daily at Cape Canaveral’s ‘bakery.’ Completed Starship rockets will be transported by barge named *You’ll Thank Me Later*, which has already delivered cargo to Kennedy Space Center. The company’s drone ship, *Just Read the Instructions*, is transitioning from Falcon 9 to Starship operations. Starship’s Florida launches will serve NASA’s Artemis missions, Space Force contracts, and commercial satellite launches. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has hinted at the barge’s role in transporting Starship prototypes from Texas to Florida. The facility’s completion marks a key step in SpaceX’s expansion for lunar and deep-space missions.
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