SpaceX is On Track to Have its Boca Chica Launch Facility Up and Running by 2018

Once the facility is completed, people nearby will be able to watch rocket launches from a 4000-person amphitheater from the county's planned rocket launch parties.

Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr. has confirmed that SpaceX is on schedule to conduct its first launches in the state of Texas by December 2018. He added that Elon Musk's spacefaring organization has been in "constant contact" with authorities, and indicated that any possible delay would cost the company money, in comments made to the Rio Grande Guardian.

SpaceX has been working on the site in Boca Chica Village, Cameron County since September 2014. The foundation for the facility is almost finished, now that the taxing and time-consuming process of shifting 700 million pounds of earth has been completed.

 

It's expected that SpaceX will be able to conduct an additional 12 launches per year from the Boca Chica launch facility once it's finished. It's set to be the company's fourth launch pad.

Launch Complex 40, situated at Florida's Cape Canaveral, was destroyed in a static fire anomaly in 2016. SpaceX engineers are currently in the midst of repairs, and its expected that the facility will be up and running as soon as October. Then, Launch Pad 39A at the John F. Kennedy Space Center will receive upgrades ahead of the upcoming Falcon Heavy launch. After that, the focus is squarely on Boca Chica.