The U.S. Space Force wants a third heavy-lift spaceport available by 2030, but it has not selected a location or land-acquisition approach. Ars Technica reported on October 23, 2026 that Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant described the date as aspirational.
Options include federal or state property, commercial land, and public-private partnerships. An additional location would reduce dependence on Florida and California for heavy launches. The proposal has not reached a site-selection decision.
What the Siting Process Must Resolve
A parallel Federal Aviation Administration consultation identifies the decisions involved in expanding U.S. launch infrastructure. Published on August 25, its request for information asks how geography, logistics, safety, environmental effects, and airspace integration should influence spaceport selection.
The questions are specific. They include proximity to populated areas, access to transport links, potential overflight of foreign territory, and differences between island and continental locations. The FAA also asks about construction costs, energy availability, supply-chain constraints, and financing.
This consultation addresses national spaceport development broadly; it does not identify a selected military launch base. Its scope includes both new sites and ways to increase use of existing commercial facilities.
New Space Economy’s analysis of the FAA consultation explains the relevance of that distinction: the agency is asking why some licensed facilities remain underused before assuming that new construction is the appropriate response.
A Proposed Base and an Open Consultation
The FAA notice also seeks views on priority launch corridors through airspace, including operating coordination, public safety, and effects on other aircraft. Those questions concern the route a rocket uses as well as the property beneath its launch pad.
The published deadline for comments is October 26, 2026, under docket FAA-2026-9736. The consultation can inform infrastructure planning, but it does not award construction work or designate the location of the proposed military spaceport.
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