SpaceX launched NASA's Crew-12 mission from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral on Monday, with the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage landing at the newly activated LZ-40 pad in Brevard County. The landing marked the first time a Falcon 9 booster touched down at the new site, which SpaceX began constructing in 2022. The mission carried four astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX officials said the landing at LZ-40 demonstrates the company's ability to expand its operations across the Space Coast. The pad is located near the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, about 15 miles east of Cape Canaveral. This is the fifth landing at LZ-40 since its activation, according to SpaceX's flight tracking data. The booster used for the mission had previously flown on the Crew-10 mission in October 2023. SpaceX has now landed 142 Falcon 9 first stages since 2015, with 92 of those landings occurring at Cape Canaveral. The Crew-12 mission is expected to last six months, with the astronauts conducting experiments and maintenance work on the ISS. The launch came two weeks after SpaceX's Crew-11 mission, which returned to Earth in May. Brevard County officials have praised SpaceX's expansion, noting the new pad creates additional economic opportunities for the region. The company has not yet announced plans for future launches from LZ-40, but officials said the site will be used for both crew and cargo missions.