The Air Force will license launch complex 36 at Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., to the state of Florida for use as a commercial launch site for boosting commercial satellites into low-Earth orbit and beyond, Space Florida, the state’s public-private aerospace development organization, announced yesterday. The agreement, which is subject to completion of the environmental impact evaluation, boosts the state’s efforts to create a commercial launch zone on the US East Coast that will attract and sustain national and international aerospace business in Florida. The Air Force ceased using the complex in 2004.
Earlier this spring, the 388th Fighter Wing proved just 12 Airmen can operate an F-35 contingency location, refueling and rearming the fighters at spots across Georgia and South Carolina. The demonstration, part of exercise Agile Flag 23-1, marks yet another proof of concept for the Air Force’s plan to send…