Florida regulators have approved a proposed natural gas pipeline intended to support SpaceX’s planned Starship operations at Cape Canaveral.
On Oct. 6, the Florida Public Service Commission found that the project involving Florida Gas Transmission and Coastal Connect Services LLC, a SpaceX subsidiary, was lawful and could proceed. The proposal calls for about 32.4 miles of 16-inch steel transmission pipeline into Cape Canaveral.
SpaceX would use the natural gas to produce liquid methane propellant for Starship. The company currently depends on truck deliveries, and Space Launch Delta 45 commander Col. Brian Chatman said a Starship launch attempt requires at least 300 truckloads of liquid oxygen and 300 truckloads of methane gas.
The pipeline is proposed as SpaceX develops two Starship pads at Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The company also has an established Starship site at Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39A, where it is limited to 44 launches a year. SpaceX is separately seeking Federal Aviation Administration approval for as many as 76 Starship-Super Heavy launches annually from Launch Complex 37.
Chatman has said that safety blast arcs during hazardous prelaunch operations can restrict road access at the Cape, complicating truck movements. He has called for coordinated investment in pipelines and commodity production across the Space Force installation and Kennedy Space Center.
The estimated in-service date is August 2027, subject to engineering and permitting. The supplied project information did not identify where the pipeline connection would begin. The Brevard County Board of Commissioners issued a letter supporting the LNG infrastructure project on Aug. 25.
