39A CAA removed, ending crew launch from historic site, for now

SpaceX has begun dismantling key infrastructure at Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, marking a significant shift in its Florida launch operations.

The company’s Crew Access Arm (CAA), installed in the summer of 2018 and first used for crewed missions less than six years ago, was removed this week using a heavy crane. The move effectively takes LC-39A offline for human spaceflight missions involving Crew Dragon spacecraft.

However, there is a possibility that if it is required, the arm could return.

Also, It’s awesome to see Dragon 2 consistently launching from Pad 40. While the crew arm has come down at 39A for maintenance and to clear the way for Falcon Heavy and Starship, we’ll maintain the capability to call up Crew missions at 39A if needed.

— Kiko Dontchev (@TurkeyBeaver) February 9, 2026

The removal follows a noticeable pause in launches from the historic pad. The most recent Falcon 9 flight from LC-39A occurred on December 17, 2025, a departure from the site’s intense activity in 2025, when Falcon vehicles launched 165 times overall (though not all from 39A).

SpaceX Senior Mission Manager for Human Spaceflight Mission Management Lee Echerd addressed the change last week, explaining the company’s forward manifest strategy.

“It’s great to have two launch pads off the Florida coast. For our manifest going forward, we’re planning to launch most of our Falcon 9 launches off of Space Launch Complex-40. That will include all Dragon missions going forward,” noted Echerd.

“That will allow our Cape team to focus 39A on Falcon Heavy launches, and hopefully our first Starship launches later this year.”

The decision to consolidate Dragon missions—both crewed and cargo—at Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40) aligns with the pad’s more modern crew-support infrastructure.
SLC-40’s launch tower and Crew Access Arm were constructed in 2023, incorporating lessons from five years of operations at LC-39A. Notable upgrades include a deployable slide for pad evacuation, replacing the slidewire baskets still in use at LC-39A and nearby LC-39B.

SLC-40 originally served as Falcon 9’s primary pad and hosted early Dragon cargo flights.
Its transition to full crew capability began with a demonstration cargo mission (Commercial Resupply Services-30) and culminated in Crew-9 becoming the first crewed Commercial Crew flight from the site—though that mission is better remembered as the “Rescue Mission” for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams following issues with Boeing’s Starliner.

The upgrades to SLC-40 were initially driven by concerns over potential disruptions at LC-39A from Starship development risks.

“We are continuing to follow the activities at Pad 39A relative to Starship,” added Steve Stitch, program manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program in 2022, outlining the path that has now become a reality.

“We are looking at options to have a crew capability at 40, and we’ll start likely with a cargo capability. SpaceX is laying out a plan to go outfit a Pad 40 for crew and cargo, and that work is transpiring, and we’re following that in commercial crew program.”

LC-39A’s Fixed Service Structure incorporates legacy elements from the Space Shuttle and Apollo eras, including repurposed components from Mobile Launcher 2’s Launch Umbilical Tower.

In contrast, SLC-40’s newer setup offers operational advantages for routine Dragon flights.

The removal of the Crew Access Arm—lifted out after crane operations beginning Tuesday night and concluding around noon the following day—supports SpaceX’s broader pivot to Starship.

The company plans up to five Starship launch pads, with Starbase in Texas focused on R&D and the Space Coast (including LC-39A, SLC-37, and others) serving as the operational hub.

Preparations at LC-39A for Starship, including infrastructure like the Ship Quick Disconnect arm, are advancing, allowing teams to concentrate on that work with fewer interruptions from frequent Falcon 9 activity.
While Falcon Heavy launches will continue from LC-39A, crewed Dragon flights from the pad appear unlikely in the near term. Starship remains far from human-rating certification, and the company’s long-term vision emphasizes larger vehicles capable of supporting multi-planetary goals over Dragon’s four-person capacity.

Dragon’s future beyond the International Space Station’s planned 2030 retirement remains tied to emerging private space stations like Vast’s Haven-2, Axiom Station, Starlab, and Orbital Reef.

With limited alternatives—Boeing’s Starliner facing challenges and other vehicles like potential Blue Origin designs still undeveloped—Dragon is expected to continue operations for resupply and crew transport in the interim.

The Crew Access Arm’s white room, where astronauts boarded Dragon, bears signatures from numerous crews alongside NASA and SpaceX logos.
It is hoped and expected that elements like this historic wall might be preserved, perhaps for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. However, with the confirmation the arm could be reinstalled at some point, it’s likely it will be held in storage at a SpaceX facility.

Lead photo: Jacques van Oene with permission.

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