The Air Force would grant the state of Florida access to space launch complex 36 at Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., for an initial term of five years for commercial space launches under a proposed real-estate license, Air Force Space Command said in a release Aug. 7. Gen. Robert Kehler, AFSPC commander, said he supports the proposal, noting that it “encourages, facilitates, and harnesses entrepreneurial space achievement.” The plan, which the service and Space Florida, the state’s public-private aerospace development organization, announced on Aug. 7, is still subject to completion of the environmental impact analysis. SLC-36 is capable of accommodating light- to medium-lift vehicles. The Air Force used the complex for launching Atlas rockets from 1961 to 2004; thereafter, it deactivated it. Space Florida, as the broker of the facility, would develop, manage, and pay for its operations and maintenance.
The Air Force's new Aircraft Readiness Unit will maintain and provide Collaborative Combat Aircraft for operations, but won’t serve as a “schoolhouse” teaching fighter pilots how to manage these escort drones.