The Trump administration issued a national security memorandum directing federal agencies to identify lands suitable for a new spaceport capable of handling heavy and super-heavy launch vehicles, according to a White House National Security Presidential Memorandum signed August 20.
The policy responds to a forecast launch surge. The administration projects 10,000 or more FAA-licensed launches annually by 2035, compared with 217 in 2025, a roughly 46-fold increase. Currently 83 percent of launches originate from three sites: Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center, and Vandenberg. A single new spaceport would not close this gap; the policy directs agencies to coordinate on identifying federal land and reducing regulatory timelines for additional infrastructure.
The memorandum does not name a specific location or agency responsible for site selection. Officials told reporters the administration "probably need[s] another site that's capable of heavy and super heavy launch capability," without specifying whether the facility would serve SpaceX Starship, Blue Origin New Glenn, or other platforms under development. No timeline for site identification was announced.
Expanding spaceport capacity has faced state and local opposition in past administrations. Texas, Florida, and California all host active or proposed launch facilities, and each faces water-use, noise, and environmental concerns from residents. The memorandum does not address those conflicts, focusing instead on federal land availability and faster permitting.
The directive responds to a genuine bottleneck. SpaceX's Starship, capable of lifting 100 metric tons to low Earth orbit, currently launches only from South Texas. Each launch consumes resources at that single site. A geographically distributed network would allow the company and competitors to increase total launch cadence and reduce turnaround times.
The administration's 10,000-launch target by 2035 exceeds all historical US and global figures combined. In 2024, global commercial and government launches totaled roughly 260, according to FAA data. Reaching the Trump target would require either dramatic growth in demand, significant cost reduction enabling more frequent suborbital or small-satellite missions, or both.
The memorandum represents the second major Trump space policy action this month. The administration has also moved to expand commercial space station partnerships and accelerate military space capabilities. Whether federal land acquisition and spaceport construction can be completed before 2035 remains a key implementation question, as permitting and environmental review for federal projects typically require years.
