U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Florida Sen. Ashley Moody are leading a bicameral effort to accelerate the modernization of Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 37, a critical heavy-lift launch pad currently sitting inactive because of outdated infrastructure. Space Launch Complex 37 was used during the Apollo program beginning in the 1960s and included launches of Saturn I and Saturn IB.
"Cape Canaveral SLC-37 is a launch pad that was historically used for heavy-lift launches," Donads said. "It now sits idle due to bureaucratic red-tape. I'm proud to lead the bicameral effort alongside @SenAshleyMoody to revive and modernize SLC-37 to ensure continued American space dominance."
In a letter to U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, Rep. Donalds and Sen. Moody pressed Meink to accelerate approval of the launch pad to support next-generation systems, calling it foundational for U.S. national security as launch demands increase across military, intelligence, and civil programs.
Donalds also stressed the pad's importance for space dominance in a press release.
"We applaud the Department's decision to move forward with the demolition of retired infrastructure at this site under the Categorical Exclusion (CATEX)," the letter said. "We respectfully request the Department to approve new construction to support next-generation heavy lift launch capability as quickly as possible."
As part of their request, Donalds and Moody argued that pausing construction until completion of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) would levy a "procedural barrier that serves no environmental benefit" while also undercutting the Department's ability to carry out mission-critical infrastructure in a timely fashion.
Moreover, both pointed to previous agency decisions, including those particularly made by the Air Force, that found no significant impact for materially similar construction at nearby SLC-41 and Patrick Space Force Base, as precedent for moving ahead under the current CATEX without further delay.
Each also cited federal guidance and legal rulings to support their case, including the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, Executive Order 14154, and the Supreme Court's decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, which solidified the procedural nature of the National Environmental Act (NEPA) and agency judgment in project review.
"Authorizing construction now does not dictate or constrain any future use decision," the letter said. "Instead, it enables DAF to reclaim strategic infrastructure in a timely, lawful, and environmentally responsible manner, exactly as envisioned by recent reforms to the NEPA."
The request by Donalds and Moody also follows the Republican Party of Florida's push to move NASA's headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Florida.
