{"id":23592,"date":"2026-02-11T18:53:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T10:53:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/39a-caa-removed-ending-crew-launch-from-historic-site-for-now\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T18:53:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T10:53:16","slug":"39a-caa-removed-ending-crew-launch-from-historic-site-for-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/39a-caa-removed-ending-crew-launch-from-historic-site-for-now\/","title":{"rendered":"39A CAA removed, ending crew launch from historic site, for now"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>SpaceX has begun dismantling key infrastructure at Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center, marking a significant shift in its Florida launch operations.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"End of an Era: SpaceX Removes Crew Access Arm from Historic LC-39A\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IV2H7eZ5-Mc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid0\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The company\u2019s Crew Access Arm (CAA), installed in the summer of 2018 and first used for crewed missions less than six years ago, was removed this week using a heavy crane. The move effectively takes LC-39A offline for human spaceflight missions involving Crew Dragon spacecraft.<\/p>\n<p>However, there is a possibility that if it is required, the arm could return.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 891px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2020893520018416111&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2026%2F02%2F39a-caa-removed-future-starship%2F&amp;sessionId=318f71990824a410be4cc735b01b9ead308a5cf0&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"2020893520018416111\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The removal follows a noticeable pause in launches from the historic pad. The most recent Falcon 9 flight from LC-39A occurred on December 17, 2025, a departure from the site\u2019s intense activity in 2025, when Falcon vehicles launched 165 times overall (though not all from 39A).<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX Senior Mission Manager for Human Spaceflight Mission Management Lee Echerd addressed the change last week, explaining the company\u2019s forward manifest strategy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s great to have two launch pads off the Florida coast. For our manifest going forward, we\u2019re planning to launch most of our Falcon 9 launches off of Space Launch Complex-40. That will include all Dragon missions going forward,\u201d noted Echerd.<\/p>\n<p>spaceflight<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>Aerospace &amp; Defense<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>Spaceflight<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>\n<p>     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat will allow our Cape team to focus 39A on Falcon Heavy launches, and hopefully our first Starship launches later this year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The decision to consolidate Dragon missions\u2014both crewed and cargo\u2014at Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40) aligns with the pad\u2019s more modern crew-support infrastructure.<br \/>\n<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-111894\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-28-32-384.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1693\" height=\"940\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-28-32-384.jpg 1693w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-28-32-384-350x194.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-28-32-384-630x350.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-28-32-384-768x426.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-28-32-384-1170x650.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1693px) 100vw, 1693px\">SLC-40\u2019s launch tower and Crew Access Arm were constructed in 2023, incorporating lessons from five years of operations at LC-39A. Notable upgrades include a deployable slide for pad evacuation, replacing the slidewire baskets still in use at LC-39A and nearby LC-39B.<\/p>\n<p>SLC-40 originally served as Falcon 9\u2019s primary pad and hosted early Dragon cargo flights.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-111893\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-21-22-467.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1693\" height=\"940\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-21-22-467.jpg 1693w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-21-22-467-350x194.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-21-22-467-630x350.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-21-22-467-768x426.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-21-22-467-1170x650.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1693px) 100vw, 1693px\">Its transition to full crew capability began with a demonstration cargo mission (Commercial Resupply Services-30) and culminated in Crew-9 becoming the first crewed Commercial Crew flight from the site\u2014though that mission is better remembered as the \u201cRescue Mission\u201d for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams following issues with Boeing\u2019s Starliner.<\/p>\n<p>The upgrades to SLC-40 were initially driven by concerns over potential disruptions at LC-39A from Starship development risks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are continuing to follow the activities at Pad 39A relative to Starship,\u201d added Steve Stitch, program manager for NASA\u2019s Commercial Crew Program in 2022, outlining the path that has now become a reality.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are looking at options to have a crew capability at 40, and we\u2019ll start likely with a cargo capability. SpaceX is laying out a plan to go outfit a Pad 40 for crew and cargo, and that work is transpiring, and we\u2019re following that in commercial crew program.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>LC-39A\u2019s Fixed Service Structure incorporates legacy elements from the Space Shuttle and Apollo eras, including repurposed components from Mobile Launcher 2\u2019s Launch Umbilical Tower.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-111897\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-35-40-002-wmarked.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1738\" height=\"1072\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-35-40-002-wmarked.jpg 1738w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-35-40-002-wmarked-350x216.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-35-40-002-wmarked-567x350.jpg 567w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-35-40-002-wmarked-180x110.jpg 180w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-35-40-002-wmarked-768x474.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-35-40-002-wmarked-1170x722.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1738px) 100vw, 1738px\"><br \/>\nIn contrast, SLC-40\u2019s newer setup offers operational advantages for routine Dragon flights.<\/p>\n<p>The removal of the Crew Access Arm\u2014lifted out after crane operations beginning Tuesday night and concluding around noon the following day\u2014supports SpaceX\u2019s broader pivot to Starship.<\/p>\n<p>The company plans up to five Starship launch pads, with Starbase in Texas focused on R&amp;D and the Space Coast (including LC-39A, SLC-37, and others) serving as the operational hub.<\/p>\n<p>Preparations at LC-39A for Starship, including infrastructure like the Ship Quick Disconnect arm, are advancing, allowing teams to concentrate on that work with fewer interruptions from frequent Falcon 9 activity.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-111892\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-24-55-266.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1693\" height=\"940\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-24-55-266.jpg 1693w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-24-55-266-350x194.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-24-55-266-630x350.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-24-55-266-768x426.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-24-55-266-1170x650.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1693px) 100vw, 1693px\">While Falcon Heavy launches will continue from LC-39A, crewed Dragon flights from the pad appear unlikely in the near term. Starship remains far from human-rating certification, and the company\u2019s long-term vision emphasizes larger vehicles capable of supporting multi-planetary goals over Dragon\u2019s four-person capacity.<\/p>\n<p>Dragon\u2019s future beyond the International Space Station\u2019s planned 2030 retirement remains tied to emerging private space stations like Vast\u2019s Haven-2, Axiom Station, Starlab, and Orbital Reef.<\/p>\n<p>With limited alternatives\u2014Boeing\u2019s Starliner facing challenges and other vehicles like potential Blue Origin designs still undeveloped\u2014Dragon is expected to continue operations for resupply and crew transport in the interim.<\/p>\n<p>The Crew Access Arm\u2019s white room, where astronauts boarded Dragon, bears signatures from numerous crews alongside NASA and SpaceX logos.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-111891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-26-09-537.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1693\" height=\"940\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-26-09-537.jpg 1693w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-26-09-537-350x194.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-26-09-537-630x350.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-26-09-537-768x426.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-05-12-26-09-537-1170x650.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1693px) 100vw, 1693px\">It is hoped and expected that elements like this historic wall might be preserved, perhaps for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. However, with the confirmation the arm could be reinstalled at some point, it\u2019s likely it will be held in storage at a SpaceX facility.<\/p>\n<p><em>Lead photo: Jacques van Oene with permission.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-104822\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1.webp 2000w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1-350x117.webp 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1-630x210.webp 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1-768x256.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1-1920x640.webp 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1-1170x390.webp 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SpaceX has begun dismantling key infrastructure at Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center, marking a significant shift in its Florida launch operations. The company\u2019s Crew Access Arm (CAA), installed in the summer of 2018 and first used for crewed missions less than six years ago, was removed this week using a heavy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[7841,7902,1395,675,317],"class_list":["post-23592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-39a","tag-caa","tag-dragon","tag-slc-40","tag-starship"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23592"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23592"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23592\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}