Florida Lt. Gov. Núñez cites 111 possible Space Coast launches for 2024

If 2023 felt like a lot of launches, by the time 2024 is over, Floridians may hurt their necks looking over their shoulders for the tell-tale streaks of light carving their way up from the Space Coast.

With seven launches in the books by the end of January from either Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the Space Coast is on pace for 84 launches for the year, which would surpass the record 72 it saw in 2023, which was in turn a big jump from the 57 it had in 2022.

But a new number is being tossed around this week by Florida officials.

Florida Lt. Gov.Jeanette Núñez speaks during SpaceCom at the Orange County Convention Center on Wednesday, Jan.31, 2024. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)

“We have no signs of slowing down. So we look to 2024. We’re anticipating over 111 launches from Florida Space Coast,” said Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez during a speech Wednesday during the commercial space symposium SpaceCom at the Orange County Convention Center. “On any given day,  you can look up and see one of those amazing launches.”

Núñez chairs the board of directors for Space Florida, the state’s aerospace economic development agency. She noted that the state accounted for nearly 68% of all U.S. launches in 2023. The state also has about 160 business development projects worth about $3 billion in statewide capital investment, she said.

“I know many states are eager to compete with Florida, but there’s no question that Florida’s where you want to be if you’re in the launch business,” she said.

The 111 number is the high end, but 100 might be more realistic, said Brigadier Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, commander of Space Launch Delta 45 based at Patrick Space Force Base in Brevard County and director of the Eastern Range over which Space Coast rockets have to fly.

“I think we’ll be close,” she said.

SpaceX makes up the lion’s share of those planned launches with Elon Musk noting it could be trying to turn around launch pads in less than three days.

SpaceX has managed six of the seven launches so far this year with at least three planned in February already including the launch of NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol Cloud Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite early Tuesday, the next moonbound NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) mission in mid-February and the next crew rotation launch Crew-9 in late February. That doesn’t include the series of Starlink flights it has lined up as well.

United Launch Alliance, which had just three of the 72 launches in 2023, saw its new rocket Vulcan Centaur take off for the first time in January, though. That could pave the way for up to five more flights in 2024 along with the final Delta IV Heavy and nine more Atlas V launches for a total of 16 potential launches for the year.

And Blue Origin is officially on the Space Force manifest for a launch as early as September, said Space Force Col. Shannon DaSilva, Deputy Director of Operations for Space Systems Command.

“Having a robust industry is very, very important,” she said. “I’m super excited for the future.”