Relativity Space is set to invest $565 million in Brevard County, creating 590 new jobs with average salaries of $86,000, according to Space Florida. The expansion includes rebuilding Launch Complex 16 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to support its Terran R rockets, which stand 284 feet tall and use two stages for launch. The company’s initial phase focuses on infrastructure upgrades, including payload processing facilities and upper-stage testing capabilities.
The project, formerly called Project Forge, involves a capital investment of $565 million, said Ronald Lau, Space Florida’s chief investment officer. The company applied for funding through Florida’s Department of Transportation Spaceport Improvement Program. Space Florida’s board will vote in early September on potential funding requests: up to $11.25 million for LC-16 construction improvements and $9.75 million for a payload processing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Relativity Space announced last month it aims to hire thousands by 2034, with facilities spanning Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The expansion phase includes upgrades to launch capabilities at LC-16, which the company is rebuilding to accommodate future Terran R missions. Specific details about the project remain limited, but Space Florida’s Investment Committee discussed the plan on Aug. 26, highlighting plans for aerospace manufacturing and expanded launch infrastructure.
The investment would be the largest private-sector commitment to Brevard’s space industry this decade. Relativity Space has not disclosed how much of the $565 million will come from the company versus state or federal funding. The project’s timeline includes immediate job creation and infrastructure work, with full operational capabilities expected by 2034 as the company scales its workforce and facilities.