Blue Origin expands test and launch sites across the Cape

Date:
Fri, 04 Sep 2026 20:37:43 +0000

Description:
Blue Origin is expanding its Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral
footprint on multiple fronts, The post Blue Origin expands test and launch sites across the Cape appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

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Blue Origin is expanding its Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral
footprint on multiple fronts, from a new Merritt Island test site and Rocket Park production buildings to the rebuild of Launch Complex 36 and early work on nearby processing facilities.

NSFs latest Space Coast flyover captured that progress in sequence, as the company ramps up to its proposed launch and production cadence.



MILA Stage 2 Test Site

Following the news that SpaceX is working toward rocket test stands at the Kennedy Space Center, Blue Origin is also working on its own second stage
test stand close to its campus.

A few weeks ago, Blue Origin filed documentation relating to the construction of a set of lightning protection towers at the site. The company then filed similar documentation for a set of cranes and aerial work platforms to help construct the infrastructure.

In the latest document, the company referred to the site as the MILA test site, with MILA standing for Merritt Island Launch Area, the technical name for the area where the Kennedy Space Center is located.

During the flyover, groundwork was already underway at the site, along with tanks that had been delivered to the area. While it is still not known
exactly what kind of testing this facility will support, it is certainly too close to populated areas for first stage New Glenn testing. However, it could potentially be far enough away for second stage New Glenn testing.

Since that paperwork was filed, Blue Origin has publicly announced that the company is taking over the historic B-2 test cell at NASAs Stennis Space Center for second stage testing, with hardware already making its way there.

A few days ago, NASAs Pegasus barge arrived to unload Artemis hardware before being loaded with a GS2 transporter. After delivering the boattail for SLS (Artemis IV), the Pegasus Barge is being loaded with the Blue Origin hardware for the return voyage. https://t.co/2y8guyW0pi pic.twitter.com/p78KsQ4ggg

NSF NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) August 31, 2026



If Blue Origin will be carrying out hot fire testing at Stennis, that leaves an open question about what the MILA site will be used for. It could potentially be used for testing second stages with cryogenic propellants without actually firing the engines.

It could also be used to expand the companys testing capabilities by
providing a second hot fire test site that can complement Stennis and support an increased launch cadence. The exact purpose has not yet been confirmed.

What is known is that more GS2 hardware has been spotted on the move in
recent weeks, and it was visible again during this flyover.

A large grey structure is the GS2 service structure, which was previously
used at Launch Complex 36 to connect to the GS2 and support hot fire tests at the pad. With the pad currently undergoing repairs, it is clear why the testing hardware is now moving to Stennis.

The structure was transported by barge from one side of the Space Coast to
the other because of its enormous size. It is not clear why it is currently sitting on this side of the Banana River, but it would not be surprising if
it is intended for use at this new test site.

The structure was also accompanied by one of the only two remaining Ares I launch mounts. These were built for Mobile Launcher 1 and, after the cancellation of the Constellation program, were later removed and placed into storage at Launch Complex 12, which Blue Origin now operates. It is not clear where one of these would be needed, but it may also be related to GS2
testing.

Blue Origin also recently delivered a couple of large cryogenic tanks to its Rocket Park campus, which could potentially be related to the same effort.

Rocket Park Expansion

While that preparation work is underway for future testing, Blue Origin is also preparing to increase its launch cadence by setting up new buildings
that will help support that goal. At least four areas across Blues Rocket
Park are now in various stages of construction.

In the far south, teams are working on a major second stage production expansion nicknamed Project Horizon. The building is still at the foundation stage, but the enormous footprint it will have once construction is complete is already visible. Another area earmarked for future construction is
directly north of Blues Lunar Plant 1.

Land clearance has been underway there, and older documentation indicated
that the site was planned to host a series of buildings for metal forming, component storage, and hardware integration. Directly east of this area is
the recently completed Hardware Integration Facility, which is believed to be intended for future GS2 hardware.

A new, much taller extension is now being added to the southern end of the building, perhaps to allow vehicles to be rotated from horizontal to
vertical, and vice versa.

The fourth area of construction is directly west of Lunar Plant 1, where a
new building has been constructed alongside the existing Maintenance Support Facility. Documentation from last year suggests that this new addition will
be used to store stages waiting to fly before they are moved out for integration and launch.

Launch Complex 36

Looking toward the future of their launch complex, Blue Origin has now shared renders showing what Launch Complex 36A and Launch Complex 36B are expected
to look like once construction is complete, giving a much clearer idea of how the two pads will eventually come together. Launch Complex 36A will be the
pad designed to support New Glenn 72, the current version of the rocket, featuring seven engines on Stage 1 and two engines on Stage 2.

Launch Complex 36B, on the other hand, will be built from the outset to support New Glenn 94, which features two additional engines on both stages. The renders also show the pad supporting vertical integration using two stacking arms attached to the launch tower. This is a very similar
arrangement to what is seen on Starships launch pads, and it should not come as a surprise given that Blue Origin also plans to launch at scale. Other design choices visible in the renders also suggest that Blue Origin wants to make launches more efficient with the newer version of New Glenn.

Construction at Launch Complex 36B is still progressing, with sheet piles visible sticking out of the ground around the site.

These allow crews to excavate deeper into the ground while preventing the surrounding soil from collapsing inward, all as part of the foundation work for the new pad.

Over at the neighboring Launch Complex 36A, the damaged corner of the tower has now been removed. The explosion, which happened more than three months ago, toppled the lightning protection tower and severely damaged the support tower.

To allow repairs to each section to proceed in parallel, Blue Origin dismantled the support tower, although the company initially left what was arguably the most heavily damaged section in place.

That section has now been removed, as expected. Three of the tower sections were visible at the pad during the flyover as they are repaired in
preparation for the tower to be stacked once again. When it returns, the
tower will have a much more important role, replacing the strongbacks
function of carrying the commodity, electrical, and data lines up to the second stage and fairing.

On Friday, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp provided a further update on that work. Limp said the team has been transporting all modules that were removed from the Vehicle Access Tower back to the pad to prepare for restacking. The team has been busy transporting all modules that were removed from the Vehicle Access Tower back to the pad to prepare for re-stacking. We designed and installed floors, pneumatics and electrical panels, and backbone piping on
the modules. And we're moving the elevator to the pic.twitter.com/cutmvHE8FG

Dave Limp (@davill) September 4, 2026



The company designed and installed floors, pneumatics and electrical panels, and backbone piping on the modules. Blue Origin is also moving the elevator
to the side of the Vehicle Access Tower, freeing up significantly more floor access for the companys new concept of operations.

See Also LC-36 Rebuild Updates L2 Blue Origin Section NSF Store Click Here
to Join L2

Ahead of Labor Day, I want to thank all of Team Blue for your hard work and give a shoutout to the team at the pad for their dedication to our return to flight, Limp wrote.

The water tower was also caught in the blast during the explosion in May and is undergoing repairs as expected.

Meanwhile, the launch bridge has been removed from the pad and is now being repaired. It was a significant effort to get that enormous concrete slab out of the way, and Blue Origin appears to have managed to remove it in one
piece. The company wants to reuse as much of the existing hardware as
possible to speed up the return to flight.

Down the ramp at the hangar, officially known as the Horizontal Integration Facility, installation of the new doors is continuing. These were damaged by the immense pressure released by GS1 No Its Necessary back in May.

Launch Complex 11

Just to the north of LC-36 is Launch Complex 11, although part of what was Launch Complex 11 is now also part of LC-36B.

The areas that are not part of LC-36B have been used as a storage and test site for some time. Previously, the site held the tents for Blue Origins Clipper reusable second stage program, but these were removed following New Glenns explosion. Since then, the area has been used to test new stacking methods for New Glenn 72 while repairs continue at LC-36A. Blue Origin used a test fairing and a Stage 2 simulator to rehearse these operations.

During the flyover, the Stage 2 simulator was still at LC-11, while the fairing had already returned to an area near the HIF.

Further north, what appears to be a Blue Moon Mark 1 container is visible at the Blue Moon test stand. It is difficult to tell for certain, but it also appears to be the same container that protected Mark 1 SN1, Endurance, during its trip to the Johnson Space Center for testing earlier this year. The exact purpose of the container at this stand has not yet been confirmed.

Payload Processing Facility and Vertical Integration Facility

As part of Blue Origins announcement showing the planned arrangement of
Launch Complex 36A and Launch Complex 36B, the company also gave its first proper look at what its new Vertical Integration Facility is expected to look like. The facility has been known about for some time thanks to the documentation Blue Origin has filed for it, although it was originally referred to as a Vertical Refurbishment Facility.

NSFs Julia Bergeron also managed to spot construction work for the facility from outside the Space Force base. Given the size of the building, it is not exactly easy to miss. Assembly of the Vertical Refurbishment Facility continues. Located just north of the skid strip, the facility sits only a few miles west of Launch Complex 36 and just outside the blast danger area.

That puts it at a useful distance from the launch pads, allowing Blue Origin to carry out rocket refurbishment and integration before transporting the vehicles to the pad. The facility will eventually support the vertical integration and refurbishment of 94 boosters, which are enormous, roughly the same height as a Super Heavy.

More recently, documentation also appeared for a Payload Processing Facility to the south of the skid strip.

This past week, Blue Origin released renders showing what that facility is expected to look like. The company has also broken ground at the site, as
seen in the flyover footage, marking the beginning of construction on the new building after land clearing got underway. Like the Vertical Integration Facility, the Payload Processing Facility is close enough to Launch Complex
36 that Blue Origin should not need a lengthy road closure to move payloads between the two locations or disrupt half of the roads leading into the base. It will effectively be right next door to the launch complex.

And it could become even more convenient if Blue Origin manages to take over Launch Complex 46 for New Glenn.

Earlier this year, the Space Force put the site up for lease to support a super-heavy-lift launch vehicle, and it sits directly alongside Blue Origins Launch Complex 36. The company has not formally announced plans for LC-46,
but recent documentation suggests that demolition work has been taking place at the site with Blue Origin listed as the sponsor, indicating that the company may be interested in clearing away the old infrastructure.

Some of that hardware dates back decades, from when the site supported Army and Navy tests, as well as launches of vehicles such as Minotaur IV and
Astras Rocket 3.

If Blue Origin can make Launch Complex 46 its own as well, these nearby facilities could become even more important, and the Space Coast could end up seeing even more New Glenn launches than it otherwise would.

Cidco Road

Cidco Road was SpaceXs original Starship development site in Florida, back in the early days of the program. At the time, the company was racing Boca
Chica, as it was then known, to build the first prototypes of Starship, with MK1 at Starbase and MK2 in Florida. SpaceX abandoned the site last year, and Blue Origin took over the facility earlier this year. Despite only moving in relatively recently, the company has already left its mark on the place, with several of the buildings being repainted with blue accents.

Blue Origin appears to have been using the area to store access scaffolding and similar structures outdoors, likely as a temporary storage area while
work continues elsewhere across the Cape. With all the different facilities the company is setting up, it is a sign that Blue Origin intends to keep expanding, even if it cannot quite launch its rockets at the moment.

Featured Image: Blue Origins Cape Campus (Credit: Max Evans, NSF/L2 100s of hi-res photos from hundreds of NSF flyovers over many sites and many years available to download for all L2 members).



The post Blue Origin expands test and launch sites across the Cape appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



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Link to news story: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/09/blue-origin-expands-test-launch-cape/


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