Space Launch Delta 45, the military group in charge of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, is looking to build a new rocket launch site. This new place, called Launch Complex 51, would be about 2 miles north of Port Canaveral. It would be the closest launch pad to public areas and take up around 50 acres.
This new site would replace Launch Complex 46. This existing pad is too close to Blue Origin’s Launch Complex 36. Last month, a Blue Origin rocket exploded on that pad during a test. Because of the closeness of both pads, they cannot work at the same time. Launch Complex 46 has held some small satellite launches and tests for hypersonic missiles recently.
Meanwhile, French startup Latitude has changed the name of its rocket. It was called Zephyr, but now it is simply “Our Launcher.” This rocket is a two-stage vehicle that will be 19 meters tall and can carry up to 200 kilograms to low-Earth orbit. Latitude hopes to launch it for the first time in late 2027.
Lastly, a Chinese rocket named Zhuque-2E broke apart in space, creating debris in an area where many satellites, including those from SpaceX, operate. The US Space Force confirmed this event shortly after the rocket launched with two satellites on June 9.
