St. Lucie County is proposing a new facility at the Port of Fort Pierce to handle rocket recovery operations for SpaceX and Blue Origin, according to a draft update to the port's master plan. The proposed 'Launch Vehicle Recovery Facility' would serve as a staging ground for retrieving rocket parts after launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The draft plan, which is 256 pages long, will be discussed at a community meeting on June 1 at the Fort Pierce Yacht Club starting at 5:30 p.m. The update builds on a master plan approved in 2020 and adds the new facility as a key component. The Port of Fort Pierce is one of 16 deepwater ports in Florida, and the new facility would be its first major expansion in over a decade. The draft describes the facility as a 'dedicated, controlled-access area' designed to support recovery vessels, autonomous drone ships, and associated craft. It would also have a 700-foot wharf with a 100-foot apron to handle heavy equipment and recovered rocket boosters. The wharf would be large enough to accommodate one autonomous drone ship, similar to those used by SpaceX and Blue Origin for booster recovery. The facility would include a dedicated access road connecting to North Second Street and a security checkpoint to meet federal and commercial standards. In addition to rocket recovery, the draft plan notes the area could be used for maintenance, repair, and overhaul of mega yachts, which are already a significant part of the port’s current operations. The master plan update comes as the Space Coast sees increasing activity from commercial space companies, with SpaceX and Blue Origin both operating launch sites in the region. The community meeting on June 1 will allow residents to review the draft plan and provide feedback before it is finalized. The port’s director, John Martinez, said the expansion could create jobs and boost local economic activity, though no timeline has been set for construction. The facility would require approval from county officials and state regulators before any work could begin.