Progress at the Cape: New Launch Pads rise for Stoke, Relativity

Date:
Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:45:19 +0000

Description:
The Space Coasts rejuvination continues apace, with multiple launch providers advancing new facilities at Cape The post Progress at the Cape: New Launch Pads rise for Stoke, Relativity appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

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The Space Coasts rejuvination continues apace, with multiple launch providers advancing new facilities at Cape Canaveral. Construction highlights include Stoke Spaces near-complete pad at LC-14 and Relativity Spaces ongoing work at LC-16 for Terran R.



LC-14: Stoke Space Revives Historic Mercury Pad for Fully Reusable Nova

Launch Complex 14 (LC-14) carries deep roots in American space history.

Built in the late 1950s as part of Missile Row, it supported Atlas missile tests and became the primary site for Project Mercury crewed launches. On February 20, 1962, an Atlas rocket lifted John Glenns Friendship 7 spacecraft from LC-14, making him the first American to orbit Earth.

The pad hosted additional Mercury-Atlas missions and other Atlas-Agena
flights before deactivation in the late 1960s. For decades, it stood largely dormant, a National Historic Landmark symbolizing the dawn of human spaceflight.

Today, Stoke Space is breathing new life into the site for its medium-lift Nova rocket.

Construction of the launch pad is now essentially complete, with the facility appearing ready for operations. The site awaits the arrival of flight
hardware for testing ahead of Novas debut launch, which the company has shown is deep into testing.

At the pad itself, recent activity includes testing of flight-related hardware. One standout feature is the umbilical tower, now painted a vibrant red a deliberate tribute to the early Space Coast era when many towers along Missile Row bore the same distinctive color. Nova stands out as one of the most unique vehicles in development, with a ring of thrust-vectoring rocket engines instead of a traditional single bell nozzle.

Capable of delivering approximately three tonnes to low Earth orbit in a
fully reusable configuration (with up to seven tonnes expendable), it is the only upcoming rocket besides Starship designed for full reusability of both stages. The first stage uses high-thrust engines for return-to-launch-site or drone ship landings, while the second stage employs an innovative expander-cycle design with an integrated heat shield for reentry.

This architecture promises dramatically reduced costs and rapid turnaround, enabling dynamic space operations including cargo return.

LC-16: Relativity Space Prepares for Larger Terran R

Nearby, Launch Complex 16 (LC-16) also boasts a storied past.

Originally constructed for Titan I and Titan II missile tests in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it supported multiple launches before transitioning to NASA use for Apollo Service Module static firings and Gemini crew processing. Later, the U.S. Army used it for Pershing missile tests through the 1980s.

After decades of inactivity, Relativity Space secured the site in 2019 for
its Terran family of vehicles.

Significant progress continues across multiple elements of the pad for the larger Terran R. Several lightning tower modules are currently being
assembled ahead of stacking, signaling that vertical infrastructure work is accelerating. The water tower is now fully stacked, though questions remain about whether it will receive a full paint scheme or retain its current two-tone appearance.

Flame diverter components are visible on site, indicating launch support infrastructure installation is well underway. Teams are also assembling upper strongback fluid brackets. Earthwork on the access ramp leading to the Terran R pad has advanced noticeably. Terran R represents a substantial step up in capability from Relativitys earlier Terran 1, which only flew once before the company decided to stand down for several years of launch activity to move to the larger vehicle.

The two-stage, partially reusable vehicle stands about 87 meters tall with a 5.4-meter diameter. Powered by 13 3D-printed Aeon R engines on the first
stage (LOX/methane), it targets around 23,500 kg to LEO in reusable configuration, with higher expendable performance. The first stage features landing legs and grid fins for downrange recovery, while the second stage
uses a vacuum-optimized engine. The vehicles first flight has not yet been scheduled, other than targeting no earlier than late 2026.

(Lead image via Max Evans. 100s of photos from the latest flyover, one of 100s of sets of flyover photos from KSC/Cape, Starbase, McGregor, and Briggs, available to download in hi-res in the L2 membership areas).



The post Progress at the Cape: New Launch Pads rise for Stoke, Relativity appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



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Link to news story: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/07/progress-cape-new-pads-stoke-relativit y/


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