new yacht launches

All Luxury Yachts Launched In 2024

• Inspiration

Adapt your search results here:

KISMET | From EUR€ 3,000,000/wk

Oceanco Y726

PROJECT VENTO

PROJECT 712

PROJECT ACE 21

PROJECT 825

PROJECT VISIONARY

Project METAMORPHOSIS

HYBRID EXPLORER YACHT

PROMISE.D (ex. Project Capri, Feadship 711)

PROJECT 713

SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch: Where to watch mammoth rocket liftoff in Daytona, New Smyrna Beach

Godspeed, falcon heavy spacex's powerful rocket will liftoff with noaa's goes-u spacecraft, which will monitor weather & environmental phenomena..

• Falcon Heavy, made up of three Falcon 9 rocket first stages, can be seen in Volusia County, weather permitting & depending on cloud cover.
• Canaveral National Seashore is the closest spot to view liftoff because it is almost parallel to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Godspeed, Falcon Heavy!

The mammoth SpaceX rocket − more powerful than the space agency's Falcon 9 − will potentially liftoff this week from NASA's Kennedy Space Center .

Can you see a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral in near Daytona Beach or New Smyrna Beach?

Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, yes, rocket launches from neighboring Space Coast  could be visible in the Volusia County area .

Here’s the June calendar for upcoming roc k et launches in Florida.

Below are suggestions on where to watch them and photos of previous rocket launches as seen from the Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach and Port Orange areas of Florida.

Here’s what we know. If there are changes to the launch, this story will be updated.

Florida's rocket launch calendar: Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA missions from Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center

Is there a rocket launch from Florida? The next is Tuesday, June 25: SpaceX Falcon Heavy GOES-U

• Mission:   NOAA’s fourth and final GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites) spacecraft , which will monitor weather and environmental phenomena, will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
• Launch:  5:16 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 25
• Location:  Launch pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center
• Live coverage:  If you want to watch live rocket launch coverage,  FLORIDA TODAY's Space Team  will provide updates at  floridatoday.com/space , starting two hours before liftoff. You can download the free  FLORIDA TODAY app , which is available in the  App Store  or  Google Play , or type  floridatoday.com/space  into your browser.

What is SpaceX Falcon Heavy?

The Falcon Heavy is three Falcon 9 rocket first stages — which together give three times the lift. The center Falcon 9 is fully loaded with the second stage of the rocket and the payload atop. The payload, in this case the NOAA satellite, is encased in fairings to shield it on the way to space.

By comparison, the Falcon 9 that launches Starlink missions is a single rocket. Just one of these single rockets towers 229.6 feet tall with the second stage and has a diameter of 12 feet.

With three of these Falcon 9 rockets, the monster Falcon Heavy stands the same height. However, it's much wider, giving it a width of 39.9 feet, which is comparable to almost three cars parked bumper to bumper.

How big is Falcon Heavy? What does SpaceX Falcon Heavy look like compared to Falcon 9 rockets?

Photo galleries attached to this story show scenes of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch (morning, afternoon or night) from the Space Coast of Florida. Depending on weather and cloud cover, SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches can be seen in the Volusia County sky − morning, afternoon or night. Falcon Heavy has three Falcon 9 rocket first stages.

Weather radar for Daytona Beach, Florida. Will weather cancel a rocket launch?

Shown is the National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows conditions in real-time for the Fun Coast and other parts of Florida.

Live beach webcam for Ormond Beach, Florida

Can't see the Ormond Beach North webcam?  Click on this link

Where can I see a rocket launch in Volusia County , Florida?

In Volusia County, immediately north of Brevard County — home to Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — you can get a great view of a SpaceX, NASA or United Launch Alliance rocket launch.

The best views to watch a rocket launch from here is along the beach. Look due south. Readers have also mentioned seeing a rocket launch from New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach. Here are some recommended spots:

•  South New Smyrna Beach  (Canaveral National Seashore), there may be parking costs. New Smyrna Beach features 17 miles of white sandy beaches. An eclectic and quaint beach town, despite its reputation as the "Shark Bite Capital of the World," New Smyrna Beach has always been a haven for surfers who come for the waves.

Dinner and a launch: Perfect for a SpaceX or NASA rocket launch, best waterfront restaurants in Volusia County

•  Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park , 6656 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach. Bethune Beach, which is 3.5 miles south of New Smyrna Beach and one mile north of the Apollo Beach entrance to Canaveral National Seashore Park, has restrooms, picnic pavilions, showers and nearly 800 feet of beachfront sidewalk,  according to Volusia County's site . The nearby riverside park area is across South Atlantic Avenue with tennis courts, pickle ball courts, basketball and volleyball courts, playground, fishing pier and restrooms. The river by the park can be a great viewing spot for manatees, dolphins and pelicans.

•  Apollo Beach  at  Canaveral National Seashore  (south of New Smyrna Beach). Canaveral National Seashore runs along Florida's East Coast in Volusia County and Brevard County. To access Apollo Beach, take Interstate 95 to exit 249, then travel east until it turns into State Road A1A. Follow SR A1A south to the park entrance.

•  Oak Hill riverfront  is the  southernmost city in South Volusia County .

•  Sunrise Park , 275 River Road, Oak Hill

•  Goodrich's Seafood and Oyster House  back deck, 253 River Road, Oak Hill

•  Seminole Rest national historic site , 211 River Road, Oak Hill

•  Riverbreeze Park , 250 H.H. Burch Road, Oak Hill

•  Mary Dewees Park , 178 N. Gaines St., Oak Hill. Facilities include a rental building, playground, baseball field, basketball courts, tennis courts, outdoor restrooms, pavilions, picnic areas and grills.

•  Nancy Cummings Park , 232 Cummings St., Oak Hill. Facilities include a playground, baseball field, basketball courts, outdoor pavilion and restrooms.

•  Jimmie Vann Sunrise Park , 275 River Road, Oak Hill. This location has about 350 feet of beautifully restored shoreline, according to the city of Oak Hill online. Facilities include a pavilion, picnic tables and kayak launching facilities.

•  A.C. Delbert Dewees Municipal Pier , 243 River Road, Oak Hill. Facilities include a 520-foot observation pier with two covered decks and seating, the city of Oak Hill site states.

•  Bird Observation Pier  on River Road across from A.C. Delbert Municipal Pier (see above). Facilities include a 100-foot observation pier.

Rocket launch photo from Port Orange, Florida

Rocket launch photos from new smyrna beach, florida, rocket launch photos from daytona beach, florida, rocket launch photo from ormond-by-the-sea, florida.

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on  Twitter  or Instagram at  @byjensangalang . Support local journalism.  Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper .

gigayacht interior

• Impressions

The world´s longest yacht, at 180.65 meters, with a top speed of over 30 knots, Azzam is a truly extraordinary luxury gigayacht. Her outstanding characteristics even include her exceptionally short building time of less than three years from keel laying to delivery, in 2013. Engineer and principal designer Mubarak Saad al Ahbabi set out to build a large yacht with an innovative and timeless design that would be able to travel at high speed in warm and shallow waters. The bold and elegant exterior by Nauta Yachts incorporates many elements of visionary modern design. Renowned French designer Christophe Leoni conceived a sophisticated interior with luxurious décor inspired by the Empire style of the early 19th century.

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

The world’s biggest yachts – what’s behind the growth of the gigayacht

• Helen Fretter
• March 14, 2017

The last few years have seen launches of some of the world's largest yachts, truly gigayachts. Helen Fretter delves into the world of the gigayacht

Dwarfing not only any other yacht that happened to be on the River Eider, but even the buildings along the foreshore, the monolithic Sailing Yacht A made quite an impression when she was launched from the Nobriskrug yard in Hamburg in the autumn of 2016.

The 142m, eight-deck behemoth is the archetypal ‘gigayacht’, phenomenal not just in her dimensions but also in her radicalism.

The Philippe Starck-designed Sailing Yacht A , with her 20m freeboard, begs the question: is she even a sailing yacht? The last yacht to divide opinion, and attract the shock and awe of the non-sailing public in the same manner was Maltese Falcon , the glossy, experimental megayacht designed for Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tom Perkins.

But the Falcon was launched a decade ago, and Sailing Yacht A is just one of a crop of extraordinary gigayachts, or sailing superyachts of 80, 90 or 100m plus, to touch the water in 2016.

Besides the 142m Sailing Yacht A , another three-masted design was launched from OceanCo this autumn, the 106m  Black Pearl , which looks set to become the largest sailing yacht in the world – for a while at least. Black Pearl represents a modern evolution of the rotating Dynarig pioneered by Maltese Falcon . Meanwhile in the spring, the largest Bermudan rigged yacht ever launched, the 86m ketch Aquijo , powered through sail trials in preparation for a global adventure.

There are more in the pipeline also. Royal Huisman announced this autumn that they had been commissioned to design and build the 86m Project 400 , another three masted design, this one more conventionally rigged. A proposal for the 114m Endurance has just been unveiled, an explorer concept designed to be able to cruise unassisted for three months. There is also the 86m Komorebi , an experimental wingsail-assisted hybrid trimaran design from the French multihull experts VPLP.

Rise and rise of the gigayacht

Why the sudden flurry of these stratospherically ambitious projects? In truth, it is not that sudden – initial pitches for what ultimately became Sailing Yacht A were invited back in 2008, and pre-studies began in 2011. A decade between projects seems rather shorter when design and build takes at least five years – gigayacht owners may be exacting, but they also have to be extraordinarily patient.

The 141m four-masted Dream Symphony is currently in build out of wood in Turkey, and includes vast living accommodation, and a swimming pool that converts to become a helipad platform.

What is remarkable, though, is how rapidly the yachts have grown in size – raising the upper ceiling from 88 to over 140m in a decade. Dutch naval architecture firm Dykstra has been instrumental in many of the world’s most innovative megayachts, including Sailing Yacht A , Black Pearl , and Maltese Falcon .

Managing director Thys Nikkels comments, “Ten years ago a big boat was a very different size than a big boat is now. I can still remember when I started working in ’91 a 40-metre yacht in those days was a big boat. In the mid-90s we started to design the yacht Athena , which we thought was the biggest boat we were ever going to see in our lives, as a sailing yacht she was 80 metres on the water.”

The largest single sloop rigged yacht in the world remains Mirabella V , launched back in 2003 and since renamed (and slightly lengthened during a refit) M5 at just over 77m. Rob Doyle, who worked on the project led by Ron Holland, recalls:

“We started designing her 17 years ago now. We hit a very natural sweet spot with Mirabella and that’s why it has taken so long for other boats to suddenly go over her length and over her rig height.

“ Mirabella still has the highest ‘P’ measurement [distance from boom to top of mast] and the longest boom in the world, though there are taller masts now.

“She set a bar and we didn’t realise we’d actually set it. It came down to a ratio of the rig weight to the draught and the keel weights, and everything else to be able to carry that amount of sail and that ballast to satisfy the rules.

“We pushed technology a lot – about 16 companies went bust over Mirabella  because the jump was so massive. We were jumping from a 64m to a 75m [yacht] and that jump was like learning to fly, then going to the moon!”

Article continues below

Video of Sailing Yacht A, the world’s largest sail-assisted vessel, during early sea trials

This video footage of Sailing Yacht A shows her with her towering free-standing masts and illustrates the jaw-dropping scale of the world’s…

A look on board the extraordinary 86m Aquijo, the world’s largest ketch

The largest Bermudan rigged ketch ever launched, the 86m Aquijo was designed by Bill Tripp and launched last year. The build came…

Ken Freivokh, who was responsible for the radical styling of Maltese Falcon , also points out that after the much publicised launch of the Falcon many buyers did not want to be seen to be emulating Tom Perkins’s unique style, preferring to wait, or opt for a conservative design. After the Falcon , Freivokh’s next radical Dynarig yacht was Black Pearl , which he began work on six years ago. At 106m Black Pearl dwarfs Maltese Falcon , with a 2,700GT volume that puts her just under the key 3,000GT limit.

Surprisingly, Dykstra’s Thys Nikkels says that the Dynarigs being built today are not markedly different to the one developed for Maltese Falcon a decade ago. “In concept it is not very different. In detail there are a number of improvements that have been made.

But Maltese Falcon was – for her time – years far ahead and she proved to be very successful in sail handling and sailing, so there are not many improvements to be done. Nowadays you just have different materials you can use, or different electronics and software systems that you can use for control.”

Maltese Falcon, launched in 2006, pioneered the Dynarig concept utilised on many of the next generation of larger gigayachts.

Sail handling

Meanwhile a decade of development in superyacht rigs and sail systems, means that Aquijo ’s owner could opt for a conventional ketch rig, which can deploy over 3,000m2 of sails in around six minutes.

Sail handling routines are necessarily different – the jib is furled when tacking. “Vitters organised a nice system that keeps just a nice amount of tension on the jib sheets furling in and out so that they are not flailing about,” explains Aquijo ’s designer, Bill Tripp. “So it’s not a dinghy tack, but it is safe and orderly.

“The spinnaker is on a fast furler and furls up in 30 seconds, making gybes less complex. There is the ketch choreography of bringing the main and mizzen in, but the steering is precise and there is no need to put too much sail up for the conditions.”

Aquijo master cabin

The forces generated on yachts such as Aquijo may be enormous – mast compression can reach around 580 tons – but are no longer beyond the realms of riggers’ experience. “When we started building boats like Saudade [the 2009 45m Wally], 14 tonnes was a very big load. Once we understood racing these boats, and understood they were controllable, you can take another step.

“We were delighted when sailing Aquijo upwind in a lot of breeze that the load on the mainsheet was showing around 12 tonnes. It’s 2:1 so that’s 24 tonnes. I’m not saying that’s not a massive load, but it’s similar to what we have on Saudade ’s big sheet 1:1, and we have years of experience with handling that.” Custom built 40 ton carbon and alloy winches help manage the sheet loads.

Tripp notes that a Dynarig was never considered as an option. “What you’re really asking is do you want the ease of sailing or do you want to be able to access something exciting? And we wanted both of them.

“Sailors tend to like the more fundamental experiences, and when the technology allows them to access those more fundamental experiences, well that’s a great joy.”

Aquijo is the world’s largest ketch, with a mainsail that can be furled or unfurled in around four seconds

Finding the limit

Just how big can a sailing yacht go? Five years ago plans were unveiled for a 101m sloop, with a single 125m carbon mast, which raised a few eyebrows and discussions over whether it might be possible. Malcolm McKeon worked on the proposal and says that it was the cost, rather than technical limitations, which put the brakes on the project.

“It was an evolving process. The owner has a 50m-plus sailing superyacht, and he wanted a new yacht big enough that he could put a reasonably sized chase boat on board. He wanted an explorer type sailboat that he could go to the Pacific on, and carry all his toys with him, and not have to have a support boat.

“The design started at 65 or 70m and it just grew and grew and grew until it got to 100m, and then it basically just got too expensive.

Recent sail trials on Sailing Yacht A saw the 1,464m2 mainsail unfurled from the 27.5m carbon U-shaped boom. Incredibly she is designed to heel up to a maximum angle of 12 degrees under full sail.

“The big problem with the large sail boats is the mast price goes up by a bigger proportion to everything else so the rig price becomes a much bigger percentage of the overall build. Technically it can all be done, it’s just the value of that part becomes a much more significant part and sometimes more difficult for an owner to accept.

“If somebody came to me and said they wanted to build a boat with a 200m mast I would think well, is that really possible? Certainly rigs up to 100m and a bit more I think are possible today, but where we’re going to go after that I don’t know.”

Rob Doyle points out that sailing superyacht owners pay around a 30 per cent premium over opting for a motoryacht, yet the boats lose around a third of the equivalent interior volume. However, for him the biggest limitations are the humans onboard.

“I think we are coming to a stage where we need a new type of rig, to be honest, to be able to safely deploy these sails without killing people. I think we are getting very close to where the metal meets the flesh at the deck level where the people and the guests are hanging around.”

With the ever-increasing winch and line speeds needed to handle the huge loads, serious hand and limb injuries can happen in the blink of an eye. “There is a moral hazard there that keeps playing on my mind,” says Doyle. “We are building very dangerous machines and we have to be very careful of people.”

The newly announced Endurance concept design is a 114m four-masted explorer design with a 6,000 mile range under power.

More prosaically, the bigger your gigayacht, the bigger the challenge of just getting on and off it. “Once you are getting to a stage where you can’t get into anchorages you are in constant fear of drifting – even putting down an anchor you need a huge amount of space around you.

“So then you anchor further out into the slop and the big waves, so the owners find it difficult to get on and off the boat, and suddenly other problems can overwhelm the project,” Doyle points out. One increasingly popular solution to that particular problem is a luxury landing craft.

Too big for the Panama Canal

It might seem counter-intuitive, but it is Aquijo ’s owner’s focus on the sailing experience that has enabled the designers of the 86m ketch to push the size limits of a traditionally rigged yacht.

“ Aquijo is a sophisticated machine and brings most aspects of a 1,600GT motor yacht with her,” comments designer Bill Tripp. “But she does not aspire to helicopters or submarines, the feeling of the boat is one of use. She is for getting out there, and for going out sailing. In Greece this summer, she would go out for an afternoon of sailing in 35 knot Meltemi because it is so much fun to sail at 20 knots, as if on rails.

“We have always done sailboats that can get under the Panama Canal bridge, and the biggest we were happy to do and put under the bridge was really 46m because after that we didn’t have big enough sails for the boat.

“Then five years ago we launched A Better Place , and the owner said ‘I’ll go around, I don’t want to limit my boat because of the bridges.’ With Aquijo they said, we want to go to these places anyway, so let’s get the best sailboat we can. So suddenly, instead of having this 63m limit on the rig, that all opened up and we could start doing a sailing boat that had a gross tonnage like some of the bigger motoryachts.

“I think we’re going to see more of that. You can look at the Strait of Magellan [an alternative route to rounding Cape Horn ], as a place that’s a really long way away or a place you really want to go.”

The three-masted Black Pearl  has an angular ‘Pacman’ bow with a wave-piercing reverse sheer lower section, and extended traditional foredeck above

The wish list

Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko is keeping his Sailing Yacht A tightly wrapped under non-disclosure agreements, but a few intriguing details have been released, including magnifying windows which appear larger inside than outside, and a gimballed crow’s nest, accessible by lift, 60m high in the curved mast.

An observation pod embedded in the keel with foot-thick glass gives a mesmerising – and frankly terrifying-sounding – view of the propellers, and there’s a three-man submarine.

Gigayacht designers have come up with some imaginative solutions to meet owners’ foibles and demands. Drawings for the 101m sloop incorporated an entirely retractable hardtop to the flybridge to give the owner his requested uninterrupted view of the sails and sky.

Plans for the Japanese-influenced Komorebi design feature a live tree on the aft deck. Watersports toys are old news – now tender garages are specified to house motorbikes, amphibious quad bikes, even custom-built marinised supercars.

On Aquijo , the headline feature is the ‘beach club’ on the lower deck. “For a sailing boat it is a huge area, they have a sauna, hamman [Turkish Bath], a rainfall shower, a relaxing area, this huge whirlpool in the middle, a little pantry, and enough space for gym equipment around the pool,” explains interior designer Robert Voges.

Beach club on Aquijo.

Voges says the trickiest element on the yacht was the flawless high shine steel mast claddings which run through the interior. “It is like a piece of art. The mast was going through the main saloon and guest corridor, and we didn’t want to hide it. So we decided to make a feature out of it with seamless stainless steel cladding with integrated LED strip lights from top to bottom over two decks.”

One of the most radical projects in progress is the 141m Dream Symphony , a four-masted design currently in build in Turkey. Originally slated for launch this year, the project is progressing slowly – in part due to the fact the yacht is constructed of wood. Her design includes a large aft deck swimming pool that transforms into a raised helipad area.

This is the type of concept which seemed fantastical just a few years ago, but is now reality in the motoryachts world where designs like the 81m Alfa Nero have deployed it successfully.

“It’s a good solution because you usually have to drop down all the stanchions and any elements that are higher than the helipad itself, whereas if you lift the helipad you don’t have to lower the other elements,” explains Dream Symphony designer Ken Freivokh.

The 141m four-masted Dream Symphony

“The brief did not call for a resident helicopter that would have its own hanger – it’s just a ‘touch and go’. You don’t want to set aside space for a helicopter permanently that’s almost never there, so if you have a reasonably sized swimming pool why not use the base of a pool to just receive the helicopter, and then once the helicopter flies away you can put it back to normal operations?” Why not indeed?

No matter how grandiose your ideas, however, not even the vast volumes of a gigayacht can be entirely filled with art galleries and Reiki studios. Robert Voges explains that, like any other ship, “We have to start with all the emergency exits, the corridors, staircases . . . and from there we can work with the other areas which are left over.”

Ken Freivokh estimates that at least 20 per cent of the interior space has to be allocated to the back-of-house systems required to maintain the equivalent of a small hotel – air conditioning, waste, media, and other unglamorous elements behind the touch-screen luxury.

Edge of reason

At 12,700 GT, Sailing Yacht A has the vastest volume of all. But can she be called a sailing yacht? She carries three of the world’s largest carbon rigs – curved, unstayed, capable of rotating a maximum of 70 degrees – featuring in-boom furling that can deploy 3,747 square metres of sail area (67 per cent more than Maltese Falcon ) from a finger tip command. And yet she cannot help but look implausible.

The hull has a maximum beam of 24.8m and includes 24 shell doors.

No matter how innovative the technology on board, or how vast the expense, the elements will not bend to the will of man or millionaire. Various estimates have put her cost at $400-500million, or in the region of £320 to £400 million – to put those sort of figures in context, the bill for the London Olympics Aquatics centre came in at under £300m.

Sailing Yacht A will be ‘sail-assisted’, not wind-powered. Confounding, aggressive in her styling, she’s a yacht that has attracted scathing opinions as often as wide-eyed wonder. But what is the point of creating a gigayacht that doesn’t?

“It is a creative process with the owner,” comments Aquijo ’s designer Bill Tripp, “They have this idea that they can make something that speaks to them. They don’t write symphonies, and they’re not great painters or sculptors, but on the other hand money is vital energy, and they can create these things that wouldn’t exist otherwise.

“It’s great when someone says, ‘Life’s short, I’m just going to do this.’”

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EARTH 300 – The Incredible 984ft Gigayacht Design Concept

Iddes Yachts has unveiled a new concept for an exploration and research vessel that seems to break all boundaries previously known to yacht design.

At a length of 300 meters (984 ft), this concept vessel named EARTH 300 would be longer than the Titanic and fit into an entirely new category, the Giga yacht. 

EARTH 300 yacht interior

EARTH 300 will not be a private superyacht made for relaxation and luxury. The concept focuses on scientific research and providing state-of-the-art facilities.

More than 400 people will be able to fit on this incredible yacht which could include 160 scientists, 165 crew members, 40 guests, 20 students, and a further 20 resident experts. A total of 22 laboratories are designed to give researchers all the necessary supplies and gear they need to conduct studies right aboard the vessel.

The concept is meant to unite features from luxury yachts, cruises, exploration, and research ships without being too close to any one of them.

This is how Aaron Olivera, the CEO of the Earth 300 initiative has described the Giga yacht which will take marine conservation efforts to a new level.

EARTH 300 yacht exterior

The EARTH 300 Giga yacht looks incredibly futuristic and surreal with its large science sphere that will house what the CEO has described as a “science city” of laboratories and research facilities.

The founder of Iddes Yachts and lead naval architect of the project Iván Salas Jefferson states that EARTH 300 will help conquer “earth’s greatest challenges” suggesting an involvement of the vessel in sustainability and research efforts. 

The entire concept is highly futuristic with Jefferson even describing Iddes as becoming an “alchemist of global solutions”.

The sphere is somewhat of a symbolic element that is meant to represent the earth in addition to looking like an alien spaceship.

Although the science sphere is the most prominent feature of the EARTH 300 she also features a large observation deck with an attached helipad at the bow of the vessel.

The views from this part of the yacht will be nearly 360° providing the perfect opportunity for stargazing.

EARTH 300 yacht specifications

As is to be expected from a vessel meant for conservation efforts EARTH 300 will sail emission-free due to its engines powered by nuclear energy (specifically MSRs).

This technology has gained popularity in recent times and millions are expected to be invested in its research in the coming years.

The yacht is expected to carry a whole fleet of submarines to aid in underwater exploration. Exact specifications of EARTH 300 such as speed, reach and measurements are not currently available until the concept is further developed by Iddes.

EARTH 300 yacht price

Since the EARTH 300 Giga yacht is only a concept at this point in time there is no exact price tag that can be attached to this extraordinary vessel.

While the design and engineering processes are complete the research yacht is not expected to set sail before 2025 at the earliest.

However, large companies such as IBM, Triton Submarines, and RINA have announced their support for the project which will hopefully aid it in reaching completion in the coming years.

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AHPO: the new 115m gigayacht by Lürssen enchanted Monaco

AHPO is a vision of Paradise, but “What suggests paradise? Is it spending quality time with your family, being entertained in luxurious surroundings, or relaxing in guaranteed privacy? On Ahpo , you don’t have to choose. Across the length of her 115 metres, Ahpo delights and surprises with her stylish interior and innovative spaces, while fulfilling the traditionally paradoxical needs of both intimacy and conviviality” – with these explanation German shipyard Lürssen has introduced the new gigayacht to the market on the occasion of the Monaco Yacht Show 2022.

For the most curious, APHO means “grandmother” in Chinese. Moran Yacht & Ship supervised the build on behalf of the owner with whom they have a longstanding relationship. If you are wondering who the owner is, just google it and you’ll get lots of news about it.

When stepping aboard from one of her two custom limo tenders, exterior and interior designers Nuvolari Lennard had a very simple objective: perfection. With her timeless, elegant bow and graceful superstructure sweeping aft, she fulfils the brief.

“For Lürssen, the task was to build a motor yacht for a repeat client, an upgrade from his 86-metre Lürssen, who had many years of owning and chartering different types of yachts behind him,” says Peter Lürssen. “He required top-notch design and engineering as well as seagoing comfort for his family, guests and crew. The launch of Ahpo is testament to the excellent team of builders, designers and engineers we have at Lürssen and the strong relationship with the client. Lürssen prides itself on meeting challenges and this one was no different!”

The early brief for the interior was to link all the elements of nature, harmoniously balanced throughout the yacht with a clear drive towards rich over opulent.

The 205-metre square wellness area on the lower deck is a fitting first place that many that will step aboard into. A large bamboo grove encased in backlit frosted glass forms a stunning backdrop to a stylish bar on one side and a luxurious massage room on the other. In contrast to this zen atmosphere is an explosion of coloured mosaic tiles which make up the hammam and day head as well as the Jacuzzi and plunge pool.

Further forward is a luxurious 12-seater cinema and just down the hall is one of the yacht’s most pleasantly surprising areas: a glass walkway through the engine room. This futuristic addition allows the owners and guests to view the impressive engines and mechanical spaces from above whenever they like.

On the main deck a large conference room boasts as its centrepiece a beautiful custom table with an antique map of Jamaica engraved in bronze and surrounded by deep blue resin, sitting underneath an eye-catching crystal chandelier.

Sliding doors open to reveal the main salon, an elegant, formal space with a self-playing Steinway piano. Further forward, another set of doors open up into the formal dining room.

Having these three distinct yet connected areas together on the same deck means that as well as somewhere to relax and unwind, Ahpo is also a functional working environment and crucially one where business and pleasure can co-exist without crossing paths.

The centre of the yacht is dominated by a grand staircase, accessible at all guest levels. The staircase itself represents a path and depicts an olive tree that grows up to the sky, surrounded by cranes. A striking crystal sculpture hangs from the ceiling, composed of falling feathers, each built by hand. The accent marbles change on each deck, acting as a subtle map of Blu Onyx, Green J’adore and Grey Lilac, with the floor always Calacatta Borghini with White Onyx for the petals, complemented by a bronze balustrade.

The owner’s deck takes on a different theme to the formality of the deck below. The informal salon is contemporary and convivial, with a colourful interpretation of the universe in the carpet and a striking latticed wood pattern running throughout. On the aft deck, an enormous custom 16-seater dining table stands proud within a winter garden that can be completely open or closed to the elements thanks to a complex set of sliding and folding glass doors.

On the upper deck is the 8-metre-long swimming pool, which also boasts a counter-current system. There is a self-contained Jacuzzi on one side of the pool, with large sun pad seating flanking the other side. A large bar and relaxed low-level seating make this area a clear favourite for informal family days. Also on this deck is the large gym with multiple machines and pieces of equipment and stunning views out over the water on both sides.

On the bridge deck, the aft deck has been left unencumbered, making it a completely flexible area. Open to the sun, it can also be protected by removable fabric shades. Moveable furniture and sun loungers fill the space or it can be left open as both a sunrise yoga platform and midnight dance floor, making Ahpo a one stop shop for the perfect day in paradise. Forward on this deck is the bridge: unusual to have this high up, it provides the crew with unparalleled views for manoeuvring the 115-metre-long, 18-metre-wide yacht. Designed more like a guest space than a traditional crew area with premium woods and leathers, it is smart and high tech.  The unique location also means the ship’s office and captain’s cabin can be together and away from the guest areas, and enables perhaps Ahpo’s most standout, innovative feature: the duplex owner’s apartment on the decks below.

The owner’s apartment is made up of a large 245 m 2 master cabin on the owner’s deck and a 95 m 2 panoramic salon on the upper deck, joined together by a private interior staircase. The owner’s cabin is spacious yet cosy, providing ample privacy from the outside world. The deck space for this room is similarly private: a semi-circle sofa and coffee table face out to sea on recessed balconies on each side, cocooned into a quiet corner thanks to glass bulwarks. On the inside, his-and-hers bathrooms and dressing rooms boast ornate mosaic patterns and bold marbles. His bathroom and dressing room is a combination of honey onyx and black Portoro marble with a stunning mosaic wall in the shower inspired by Klimt paintings. In her bathroom and dressing room, the main colour is pink with a cherry tree theme with elegant blossoms and birds. In both bathrooms, there are two impressive freestanding tubs and custom crystal chandeliers, and a focus on Venetian glass from Murano including furniture decorated with a cast glass frame.

The panoramic salon enjoys 180-degree views over the bow. Two custom desks flank each end of the room, turning the space into a private office if so desired, away from the master cabin. “The owners are extremely happy with this solution, it suits their lifestyle very well,” says Carlo Nuvolari. “It was an unusual design idea to have a duplex space but they are very happy with the outcome.” The salon has access to the foredeck and helicopter pad, which is positioned halfway between the owner’s and upper decks. There is a forward dining and lounging area that is inset and raised slightly above the bow, ensuring better views and protection than tradition layouts, and meaning any guests arriving by helicopter do not see through into the master cabin.

Aside from the master cabin there are seven guest cabins on board, with two on the owner’s deck, four on the main deck and one on the lower deck. The two cabins on the owner’s deck are designated for specific family members and enjoy their own colour themes of pink and green, chosen by the family to distinguish the two. Gingko leaves make up the main inspiration behind the design in these two cabins with both enjoying the same roll top style baths as in the master cabin bathrooms. The large cabins on the main deck are similarly appointed and enjoy the view from the iconic semi-circle windows.

The crew areas on board are spacious and well-designed, a key request from the owner. There are 37 crew on board Ahpo and the crew spaces have been designed to give maximum privacy, including a large crew mess, a separate crew lounge and a private crew gym. There is also a hospital room down in the tank deck. In the engine room, twin MTU 20V 4000 M73 engines propel the yacht to speeds of 18 knots and for up to 7,000 nautical miles at 12 knots. Efficiency and the desire to be as green as possible was a big drive behind the engineering on board, and the yacht is equipped with a state-of-the-art exhaust after-treatment system that reduces nitrogen oxide levels and generates less noise and vibration. Similarly, every diesel generating set is equipped with an additional heat exchanger, which is used to heat up an extra heat cycle connecting the pool, Jacuzzi and service water systems. This helps to reduce any thermal energy loss by repurposing it and reduces the need for electric heating systems elsewhere on board.

Lürssen concludes “Paradise is subjective, but when there is so much thought and design put into each space that means everyone is able to enjoy themselves on board in their preferred way, then it is hard to argue that paradise hasn’t been found on a yacht such as Ahpo “.

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Laraki Yacht Design’s New 163m motor yacht PRELUDE

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Written by Zuzana Bednarova

Laraki Yacht Design is pleased to announce the recent opening of their new yacht design studio, situated in California , USA . At the occasion of this event, Abdeslam Laraki, a designer and founder of the studio, has created the impressive, nine-deck 163m motor yacht Prelude. With the essence as well as the potential to challenge any other yacht design, Prelude superyacht is a visual overview of the level of creativity and esthetics to expect from the new Laraki Yacht Design studio.

163m megayacht Prelude by Laraki Yacht Design

To some extent, but with some exceptions, the majority of the world’s largest mega yachts seem to be, at least in appearance, almost just a blowup in size of smaller yachts. Although they are hugely impressive by their sizes and price tags, unfortunately, Abdeslam Laraki thinks most of them don’t seem to pioneer much if not any really new design clues.

What a waste of opportunity when a designer is given the chance to invent and create a one of a kind design for an over 120m yacht and have the final result, after years of continuous efforts and hard work, turns out to be visually and overall so expected and so much in line with other existing yachts.

Prelude superyacht - rear view

What a waste of opportunity to add a distinct masterpiece to the ultra-exclusive gigayacht world. At this level, Abdeslam Laraki thinks every new entry should be an inspiration to mankind, just like an iconic architectural creation can be. It is even more unfortunate, considering that owners of such yachts typically include in their cahier des charges the will and desire to have an original, unique and recognizable yacht.

Abdeslam Laraki has no intentions to diminish the creative capabilities of his fellow designers, knowing that such projects are always taken in good faith. Especially when keeping in mind how difficult and risky it is to step out and propose something unusual.

His challenge in megayacht Prelude is to invent and create an innovative and true one of a kind yacht, in the deepest meaning of the words. A yacht with its own character, style and looks, as far as possible from the rest. He allowed himself to take risks proposing new shapes that he hopes are still in harmony with the yacht’s natural environment, the ocean.

Laraki designed luxury yacht Prelude - side view

Besides its original looks, the 163m superyacht Prelude gives the owner and his guests the ultimate gigayacht experience. She offers much more than what one gets from any equivalent size yacht in the world today. She offers more space, more variety, more dedicated activity areas, stunning views and a good deed of practicality. Everything and more than what the owners of such gigayachts can desire for themselves and their guests.

Opulence, distinction, originality but also feasibility are the main four words he had in mind to guide him through the project during its ideation, research and creation phases.

Here is how Abdeslam Laraki describes Prelude: Besides the unique huge and unusual lateral glazing surfaces the Prelude yacht has on both sides of the superstructure to enjoy exceptional views, and the large extensions here and there that stretch passed the hull’s width. Prelude is composed of many dedicated areas that Laraki calls modules.

Luxury motor yacht Prelude - view from above

Towards the top, on the eighth deck is the Aqua-module, consisting of two pools. The wellness and water treatments pool is located in the front section, to be enjoyed by the owner and his guests. While the pool located on the back section of the module is dedicated to play and fun. Two water slides go to the aft pool, taking start two decks higher. In the shallow water part of the fun and play pool, between the waterslides is located an indoor tropical forest like environment, along with an automated sushi bar for 20 guests, where one can enjoy the view on the pool and ocean on one side and the dense tropical vegetation on the other side. On the same deck, near the wellness pool in the front section, there is a dining area protected by cylindrical glass walls all around. While on both sides of the module, there are located wide promenades that stretch the full length.

Above the Aqua module, there is the Flying-module. The name describes its aeronautical, detached and autonomous appearance, standing on the top of the gigayacht. The Flying-module consists of a glass covered lounge area, located at the front, while on both sides of the module, we have a bar, pool tables, comfortable seating, and card play areas that lead to two large terraces, located in the back and overlooking the waterslides and the play pool on the eighth deck.

The roof of the Flying module holds the radar and satellite receiver arch, along with the start area of the waterslides that go throw the module and all the way to the play and fun pool. Besides its dynamic looks, and thanks to its large glazing surfaces, the Flying module offers unbeatable and exceptional all around high rise views.

Prelude superyacht - Decks

Bellow the Flying and Aqua module, there is the seventh deck that offers, both in the front and rear, a large lounge and entertainment area, fitted with large sunbeds, sectional sofas, a water fountain, flat screens and bars. All overlooking the ocean.

The sixth deck is exclusively dedicated to the owner, the Owner-module. Besides the impressive size of such space, the owner can enjoy a large pool terrace looking forward, along with two large general use terrace spaces located on both sides. At the rear of the Owner-module, is located the private reception area, consisting of a large circular living area, fitted with large sofas of different shapes and seating configurations, a dining area and more. All with a large walk around path and full glazing.

The wheelhouse is located on the fifth deck. Other than the distinctive futuristic look the command room has, the fifth deck offers a huge surface that holds numerous living and entertainment areas to host large events and receptions, almost entirely boarded by glazing. All leading to the fifth deck’s aft section, where we have a large open space with a helipad, a fish pond, a bar and a variety of comfortable seating configurations and relaxation areas.

163m gigayacht Prelude - Exterior

In the front part of the forth deck, there is the Beach-pool-module. A unique open sky space that includes a helipad on its front section, a large pool with a Spa Pool and a wet bar, a variety of comfortable seating areas, large size sunbeds and two bars, one on each side of the pool. All leading under the wheelhouse, where there are even more commodities.

The forth deck is also where six 160 square meter VIP guest suites are located. Three on each side. They all have 28 square meter of furnished private terrace space, full ocean view bath space, each equipped with an individual sauna, steam bath and other wellness equipment. On the rear part of the forth deck, we have the restaurant area that leads to a large open space fitted with round shaped seating and dining areas that extent passed the width of the Prelude yacht for a unique unobstructed view.

There is also the Ocean-access-module which is in fact what could mistakably be taken for exhausts that run at the bottom rear of the hull. In reality, the module holds two 13 by 4m pools, one on each side. When both huge lateral doors of the module are opened, both pool areas have direct access and full view on the ocean. The module is fitted with all the necessary equipment for leisure, fun and relaxation.

Finally, although Laraki took risks proposing unusual shapes and looks through his project, he hopes to have managed to keep the integrity, good proportion and balance that a well thought gigayacht design ought to have.

Prelude superyacht providing the maximum comfort

Laraki’s Designs Under Construction: For the past few years, Abdeslam Laraki has been actively involved in various yacht design projects.

In fact in 2006, he has been contracted by Privilege Yacht Company, Privilege Yard s.p.a today, to design a specific line of mega yachts, ranging from 120 to 160m, to be constructed at the company’s recently built shipyard in the port of Civitavecchia, Italy.

Superyacht Privilege One , the first mega yacht of the series for which Laraki has created her exterior design and styling, is currently under construction at the Italian yard. The 127m Privilege One yacht is expected to launch by the end of 2012. Meanwhile, the second yacht of the series, a 137m yacht has recently entered her construction phase on May 26. A ceremony was held on the same date at the shipyard to commemorate the event.

127m megayacht Privilege One currently in build at the Privilege Yard

From the start of the collaboration, Laraki was given the brief and mission to create a specific yacht design. A distinctive, esthetic, harmonious, recognizable design, yet classical enough to withstand time. A design, made to suite a range of yachts for Privilege. A design with enough personal character and distinctive esthetic features that even when built in different sizes, will still convey its affiliation to the ship yard. In that aspect, the challenge is met, since he was able to give dimension and matter to Privilege’s written wish for style, distinction and stance.

During Laraki’s collaboration with Privilege Yacht Company as their lead designer, he delivered the yacht’s design with its respective CAD files, all according to the cahier des charges submitted at the time. But his collaboration with Privilege did not stop there. In addition to the design, he was in charge of the development of the yacht’s initial metal structure in 3D, integrating all its technical and construction aspects and details.

It was a demanding task that paid at the end, since it allowed naval architects and engineers collaborating on the project to precisely visualize the full yacht and ultimately make all the necessary adjustments at an early stage. During his collaboration with Privilege, he also stayed long periods in Rome, to initiate a few members of Privilege’s team to the skills of professional and industrial CAD work for a better communication between them, and to give Privilege team a better autonomy for the future, when working in 3D.

160m superyacht S-Cape by Laraki Yacht Design

One of the particularities of yacht building is the fact that in most cases, the yacht undergoes modifications during her construction period. Modifications often required by the owner himself. And Privilege One yacht is no exception, in fact in September 2011, Privilege decided to add an additional deck to its first yacht already in construction from the Privilege series.

The design of such important modification was naturally given to Laraki, even if he was quite skeptical at the time to the idea of adding a deck to the top of the original superstructure. Finally, the result turned out to be quite satisfactory, since Laraki has managed to add the required deck while preserving the overall balance of his original design.

In addition to Privilege’s announcement of the construction of nine yachts and Laraki’s feeling of fulfillment of mission as Privilege’s lead designer, Laraki would like to point out that the six year exclusivity aspect he has had with the company is now coming to its term, opening horizons for new collaborations, projects and possibilities. He still has the strong drive he has always had as a designer to imagine and design the next mega yachts. A drive that is still intact.

Please contact CharterWorld - the luxury yacht charter specialist - for more on superyacht news item "Laraki Yacht Design's New 163m motor yacht PRELUDE".

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To be built in Saudi Arabia, this $5 billion gigayacht concept is so massive that it can dwarf an oligarch’s superyacht – The turtle-shaped Pangeos will house 60,000 people. A floating city in itself it will have beach clubs, villas, and even a mall.

Can you imagine what a $5 billion terayacht comprises? Thanks to Lazzarini’s giant turtle-shaped floating city, we don’t have to imagine anymore. Breaking norms, boundaries, and budgets all in one go is this unprecedented concept of Pangeos that shatters the glass ceiling and sets high standards of luxury and innovation. The Italian Design Studio has envisioned an entirely new way of living in the lap of luxury inside the giant vessel capable of housing an entire city.

Terayacht Pangeos stretches 1,800 ft. in length and flaunts a beam of 2,000 ft. making for highly roomy interiors. Entry is located aft through a massive portico enabling vessels to enter the floating city.

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Lürssen’s Epic 6-Deck, 456-Foot Gigayacht ‘Opus’ Is Almost Here

Upon completion, she will likely rank among the top 10 world’s largest superyachts., rachel cormack.

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This new 95-foot yacht pairs the agility of a runaboat with the luxury of a superyacht, palm beach motor yachts just unveiled a sleek new 90-foot flagship, lürssen’s newest superyacht is a 269-foot tri-deck behemoth.

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One of the largest superyachts in the world is nearing delivery. Lürssen’s highly guarded but not easily hidden 456-footer was spotted leaving the German yard this week, well ahead of its due date.

Previously known as Project Redwood , the steel-hulled vessel now goes by the name of Opus , fitting since it’s an epic work of art. The concept was first announced in 2015 by Moran Yacht & Ship and hit the water for the first time in January 2019. After further tweaking and a name change, the gigayacht is set to be delivered in late 2020, and, apparently, she’s champing at the bit.

With interiors and exteriors penned by Italian design studio Nuvolari-Lenard , Opus is being built to the Passenger Yacht Code (PYC), which means she can sleep up to 36 guests across 20 staterooms. Intended for long-range cruising, her hull was designed for efficiency and the designers have previously said the vessel will be able to undertake “independent global exploration.”

As to be expected, the six-deck dream machine is jampacked with high-end amenities. She has not one but two helipads occupying different decks, a supersized tender fleet that includes several 50-footers, a large sports and diving center on the lower deck by the water’s edge, plus an oversized, partially covered swimming pool that can be used in any type of weather.

Moran Yacht & Ship’s construction team is currently overseeing the project at Lürssen’s yard in Bremen, Germany. Once Opus is complete, she will likely rank among the top 10 world’s largest superyachts and become the sixth-largest vessel that Lürssen has ever built.

She’ll likely snap up a few awards, too. This marine dream team—Moran, Lürssen, and Nuvolari-Lenard —previously collaborated on Quatroelle , which was delivered in 2013. The impressive 289-footer was a finalist at the World Superyacht Awards in 2014 and showcased the impeccable craftsmanship to be expected from the trio. Opus certainly has some big boots to fill, but at 456 feet that should be no problem.

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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August 23, 2012. Written by Zuzana Bednarova. Laraki Yacht Design is pleased to announce the recent opening of their new yacht design studio, situated in California, USA. At the occasion of this event, Abdeslam Laraki, a designer and founder of the studio, has created the impressive, nine-deck 163m motor yacht Prelude.

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FAA, NASA seek public input on SpaceX Starship launches at the Kennedy Space Center

The Federal Aviation Administration is preparing to gather public input on SpaceX Starship launch operations at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The request for comments comes about a month after the conclusion of an environmental review of a 100-acre expansion for SpaceX at its Hangar X site.

The pair of projects highlight an ongoing ramp up of activity for a company that aims to launch more than 140 Falcon launches by the end of 2024, most of them from Florida’s Space Coast.

“SpaceX draws a lot of attention. There’s no question about it. They’re doing a lot of amazing things and they draw a lot of attention from the public, not just locally or regionally, but worldwide,” said Don Dankert, the technical lead of the Environmental Management Branch at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

On June 12 and 13, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will host a series of public scoping meetings to inform the public and answer questions about SpaceX’s proposal to launch Starship from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A). There will also be a virtual meeting on June 17 for those unable to attend in person.

• June 12 – 2-4 p.m. ET, 6-8 p.m. ET at the Radisson Cape Canaveral, 8701 Astronaut Blvd, Cape Canaveral, Florida 32920
• June 13 – 6-8 p.m. ET at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Space Commerce Way, Merritt Island, Florida 32953
• Zoom Link URL: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89402979916
• ZOOM Meeting ID: 894 0297 9916
• Call-in number options (all toll-free): 833-928-4608, 833-928-4609, or 833-928-4610

Among those attending the public hearings will be representative of the Department of the Air Force, the U.S. Space Force, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Canaveral National Seashore and SpaceX.

“Through scoping, you introduce the project to the public at large and others and you take that feedback and that’s really how we find that out: what are those key issues? What are the things, what are those areas that the public may have an elevated level of concern about?” Dankert said. “And that in turn will drive us to say, ‘Ok, we need to take a much harder look at this or delve in or maybe we didn’t consider that.”

Through the environmental impact statement (EIS) process, the FAA will lead a review of impacts from SpaceX Starship operations across a number of areas including air quality, coastal resources, land use, noise and water resources, among others.

The assessment is a follow-up to an EA prepared in 2019 for Starship launches.

“Since that time, there’s been changes in the vehicle configuration, the concept of operations, the infrastructure needs. And when SpaceX approached us with this, obviously they need an FAA license in order to operate at 39A at KSC,” Dankert said. “In looking at it, we scoped it as an EIS (environmental impact statement). In some sense, it will supplement or continue that analysis that we started in 2019.”

He said NASA requested that the FAA take on the role of the lead federal agency in this process, since they’re in charge of launch licenses.

“I think it gives us greater reliability and buys down some of the risk. The FAA is going to have exactly what they need to do their evaluation when it comes time for the licensing action,” Dankert explained. “KSC is what we call a ‘cooperating agency’ in the development of that document. So, we are fully engaged.”

Back in 2019, SpaceX’s proposal was for 24 Starship launches per year, but with a different-looking Starship rocket. Back then, it was thought the upper stage would consist of seven Raptor engines and would land on either Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) or on a droneship.

Meanwhile, the Super Heavy booster would consist of 31 Raptor engines and land on a droneship as well. There were no plans at the time for the booster to return for a landing at LC-39A.

“SpaceX now proposes to construct additional launch infrastructure not previously contemplated in the 2019 EA: a Super Heavy booster catch tower, a natural gas liquefaction system and air separation unit for propellant generation, and stormwater/deluge ponds,” the FAA wrote. It added in a separate document that SpaceX would likely use about 1 million gallons of deluge water per launch attempt.

“SpaceX also proposes to launch an advanced design of the Starship and Super Heavy vehicle (up to nine raptor engines for Starship and up to 35 raptor engines for the Super Heavy booster), operate at a projected higher launch tempo (up to 44 launches per year), and land the Super Heavy booster at LC-39A in support of its reusability concept. Starship landings are no longer proposed to occur at Landing Zone 1 at CCSFS.”

The new proposal would also give SpaceX the option to land the booster either at LC-39A, on a droneship, or expend it at least five nautical miles off the coast. A similar environmental assessment is being conducted by the Department of the Air Force for Starship operations at Space Launch Complex 37, the former home of United Launch Alliance’s Delta 4 Heavy rocket.

In an FAA document outlining the proposal from SpaceX, the agency said there is no alternative option that is a reasonable change of course from the primary proposal. It argued that “the only alternative to the Proposed Action as described in this EIS is the No Action Alternative.”

“LC-39A could provide time-critical mission capability to NASA for near-term lunar exploration on the NASA Artemis and Human Landing System programs,” the FAA wrote. “In addition to NASA’s mission-critical requirements, LC-39A would provide launch site diversity for Starship-Super Heavy to serve commercial exploration interests.”

The FAA also offered a glimpse into the future versions of the fully integrated Starship rocket, stating that it “is expected to be up to 492 feet (150 meters) tall depending on configuration and approximately 30 feet in diameter.” That’s in comparison to the vehicle launching today, which is only 397 feet (121 meters) tall.

The document also states that the upgraded version of Starship will include 35 Raptor engines for the Super Heavy booster and nine for the upper stage.

100-acre no more woods

In addition to the Starship launch proposal, KSC has been busy with another SpaceX request. Dankert’s office spent the better part of two years reviewing a proposal from SpaceX to extend their main footprint at KSC, known as at the Roberts Road campus, by 100 acres.

Under an environmental assessment (EA) approved in 2018, SpaceX has been making notable expansions and improvements within its current 67 acres, but this new expansion aims to bring the majority of its assets around Brevard County to this one spot.

As is the case for any infrastructure project at KSC, that meant undergoing the federally mandated NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) review. Part of that involves calling for public opinion on the general proposal near the start of the assessment and then calling for public comment once again once a draft EA is issued.

“We put the document out, publish it on the website and give the public at large, including all of our stakeholder agencies and others, an opportunity to read the document, look at the post-findings, and then provide formal comment back to the agency for us and SpaceX to consider in the development of the final document,” Dankert said.

After doing their due diligence and considering all of the feedback, this spring, NASA issued a FONSI (finding of no significant impact), which paves the way for SpaceX to move forward with its expansion plans. The next step in that process is for SpaceX to establish a lease agreement with KSC.

“That is in work, in the final stages of executing that actual agreement between NASA and SpaceX,” Dankert said.

The transformation of this hundred acre plot of land won’t be a quick process. Part of SpaceX’s ability to develop the space will be submitting a site plan to NASA “with additional details on building dimensions and site layout,” according to the FONSI document.

“The KSC site plan review process identifies potential constraints including land use, operational conflicts, natural resources, line-of-sight, safety, and security, and ensures that the SpaceX plan complies with this SEA,” the document stated. “SpaceX would implement changes as required by NASA.”

Details of SpaceX’s future expansion remain largely held to the chest, but the documentation does provide some crumbs of information. For instance, in the biological opinion, prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Florida Ecological Services Field Office (FESFO), there are references to buildings that will stand as tall as 400 feet.

“The Action proposes the construction of multiple towers up to 400 feet in height,” Robert Carey, manager of the Division of Environmental Review in the FESFO, wrote in his report. “Thought the Action is located approximately six miles from the closest nesting beach, the height of these towers has the potential to be seen by nesting sea turtles during the sea turtle nesting season.”

For reference, the Statue of Liberty is about 305 feet (about 93m) in height and the current iteration of Starship’s Super Heavy booster is 232 feet (about 71m).

Even with the FONSI now issued, Dankert and his office will continue to work with SpaceX on the future of the site.

“When SpaceX starts to develop their finalized plans, we have an opportunity to review those and ensure that they’re using turtle-friendly lighting as they can, where applicable,” Dankert said. “Even though it is a good distance from the beach, that can contribute to what we call ‘sky glow’ out on the beach.”

“SpaceX has a great environmental staff that we work very closely with continually through land development, construction and then future operations.”

• Kennedy Space Center
• Super Heavy

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