Bicameral Effort Aims to Reassert American Space Dominance Through Revitalized Cape Canaveral Complex
Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) is leading a bicameral effort, supported by Senator Ashley Moody (R-FL), to accelerate the modernization of Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) at Cape Canaveral.
Lawmakers are urging Secretary Troy Meink of the United States Air Force to approve the construction of next-generation heavy-lift launch capabilities at the critical Florida site.
SLC-37, historically a vital launchpad on the Eastern Range for heavy lift missions, currently sits idle due to outdated infrastructure. While the U.S. Air Force has agreed to demolish the dilapidated facilities, approval for new construction, which is essential for future heavy-lift operations, remains under review.
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In a letter to Secretary Meink, Congressman Donalds and Senator Moody emphasized the urgent need to return SLC-37 to operational readiness, citing the site’s foundational role in ensuring American national security and space dominance. They highlighted the surging demand for launches across military, intelligence, and civil programs, emphasizing that legacy infrastructure must be modernized efficiently to support next-generation systems.
The lawmakers argue that the proposed new construction at SLC-37 falls squarely within a Categorical Exclusion (CATEX) adopted by the Department of the Air Force (DAF) in 2024, which covers “new construction that is like or compatible with existing land use.” They point out that SLC-37 has served as a heavy lift launch site for decades and that the new construction is consistent in type, scale, and environmental impact with prior activities and comparable sites. They also referenced previous Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSIs) for similar construction at other launch complexes and NASA’s environmental assessment for a nearby project.
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Donalds and Moody fear that delaying construction until the completion of a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) would impose an unnecessary procedural barrier, offering no environmental benefit while undermining the agency’s ability to deliver mission-critical infrastructure promptly.
They further emphasized that recent reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), executive orders, and a recent Supreme Court decision all underscore the importance of efficiency and certainty in infrastructure projects and the appropriate use of CATEXs.
The letter concludes by noting that new construction at SLC-37 is independent of any future lease EIS, as no user can operate from the site without upgraded facilities. Authorizing construction now, they assert, enables the DAF to reclaim strategic infrastructure in a timely, lawful, and environmentally responsible manner.
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The push from Congressman Donalds and Senator Moody underscores a growing concern among lawmakers about the pace of modernization at key U.S. space infrastructure, with a clear focus on maintaining the nation’s leadership in the burgeoning space sector.
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