NASA Seeks Tenant for Pad 39A

It is starting to look like a case of too little, too late for the Kennedy Space Center.  After KSC Director Bob Cabana earlier this week seemed to reluctantly conceed that NASA would not stand in the way of Space Florida’s proposed commercial spaceport near Shiloh,  provided it passes environmental  review,  KSC released a synopsis today outlining its plans to seek a commercial tenant for Pad 39A.

According to the announcement for proposals,  NASA is seeking a lease agreement under the authority of the Commercial Space Launch Act for a period of not less than five years.  It is not immediately clear who, if anybody would be interested in assuming responsibility and maintainance for the historic pad which seems like overkill for anything but the heaviest of boosters.  

As for the proposed Shiloh facility, the reality of what is likely to be a year-long environmental review could put the state’s ambitions in serious jeopardy, particularly if SpaceX gets off to a fast start with the introduction of the Falcon 9 v1.1 later this year.