Commercial neighbors Stoke Space and Relativity Space Advance make progress on Cape launch sites

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Along Florida’s Space Coast, two ambitious aerospace companies are rapidly transforming historic launch sites into modern facilities to support their upcoming reusable rockets.

Significant progress can be observed at Stoke Space’s Launch Complex 14 (LC-14) and Relativity Space’s Launch Complex 16 (LC-16), both located adjacent to each other at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Stoke Space’s Historic Revival at LC-14:

Moving north along the Space Coast, Stoke Space has been intensively refurbishing Launch Complex 14 — the same historic pad from which John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth in 1962 during Project Mercury.

After more than 50 years of inactivity, the site is now nearing operational readiness for the company’s fully reusable Nova rocket.

From recent aerial views via the NSF flyovers, the launch pad appears close to completion.

Key developments include the installation of propellant and commodity pipework on the launch mount, a critical step following the successful testing of the water deluge system.

The Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF), designed for rocket assembly, shows open doors revealing a largely empty but purpose-built interior. Overall, the complex looks far more polished, with graded terrain, removal of heavy machinery, and smaller additions like a windsock now in place.

The company has indicated plans for Nova’s first flight in early 2026, supported by a major $510 million funding round announced in October 2025 to complete LC-14 activation and scale manufacturing.

Relativity Space Advances LC-16 for Terran R:

Next door, Relativity Space continues major upgrades at Launch Complex 16 to accommodate its medium-to-heavy lift Terran R rocket, a partially reusable vehicle targeting first launch in late 2026.

Aerial imagery highlights substantial changes since NSF flyovers.

The most prominent feature is the towering water tower, essential for the pad’s water deluge system that protects infrastructure from engine energy during liftoff. The tank now sits atop the downcomer and foundation legs, with final welding ongoing.

While the top section appears complete, the structure is expected to reach approximately 93 meters in height once fully assembled, with completion reportedly targeted for early January (based on prior schedules).

The Horizontal Integration Facility is taking shape, with exterior cladding now covering more than half the building, along with installed ladders, walkways, stairs, and overhead cranes removed from production.
Propellant infrastructure has seen major additions. On the liquid oxygen (LOX) side, two additional vertical tanks and three large horizontal tanks (originally spotted years ago and likely repurposed from nitrogen to LOX service) have been installed — each holding 170,000 gallons. The high-power electrical distribution system has transitioned to support Terran R architecture.
On the methane (liquid natural gas) side, preparations are underway for future tanks, and a completed flare stack has appeared — the first of two planned, with one dedicated to tank farm operations and another for rocket boil-off.

Some older infrastructure, including four horizontal tanks from the former “water farm” area tied to the retired Terran 1 program, has been removed.

At the launch pad itself, rebar and forms are being placed for the mount, concrete work advances on retaining walls, foundations for the pad support facility are progressing, and structures for the lightning protection system towers are complete.

These developments underscore the growing commercial space activity at Cape Canaveral, as companies like Stoke Space and Relativity Space prepare to introduce innovative, reusable launch vehicles that could expand access to orbit in the coming years.

These two pads are good examples of how the Space Coast continues its evolution from historic sites to hubs of next-generation spaceflight.

The post Commercial neighbors Stoke Space and Relativity Space Advance make progress on Cape launch sites appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.



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