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I was looking at some SpaceX pictures and realized that with the last ten years, and the coming two years, SpaceX will have built a TEL for:

  • Falcon 1 - Kwajelin Atol
  • Falcon 1 - SLC-4 (before they got kicked out, possibly reused at Kwajelin)
  • Falcon 9 - LC-40
  • Falcon 9/Heavy - SLC-4

Coming up:

  • Falcon 9/Heavy - LC39A
  • Falcon 9/Heavy - Brownsville/Boca Chica

Beyond the sheer number of launch sites, that is a fairly large number of TEL's to design and build. The upside is one assumes they are getting better at it, each one learning from design issues with the previous.

Who else in recent times (Ignore the crazy build ups in the 1960's and 70's of the Cold War), has done anything close?

I suppose Vostochny the new Russian spacesport in the Far East of Russia will likely be the newest pads. (Orbital's facilities at MARS are only really a single, though maybe count the Minotaur pads as well?)

ULA's pads were basically all built long ago, though maybe the Atlas/Delta pads could count as new. But those are at most one in Florida, one in California (I do not know the complex numbers they launch from).

For completeness, I want to try and add in pictures of the various TEL's SpaceX has built.

LC-40 - Falcon 9

LC-40 - Falcon 9 (CRS-3 mission)

Vandenberg - SLC 4 - Falcon 9 / Falcon Heavy

LC-39A - Falcon 9 / Falcon Heavy

LC-39A - Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy

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  • $\begingroup$ Looks like Orbital will be building another one now... $\endgroup$
    – geoffc
    Oct 29, 2014 at 2:11
  • $\begingroup$ Are you sure they're building a T/E for 39A? Last I heard that was their vertical integration facility and pad (for supporting USAF launches). $\endgroup$
    – marked-down
    Nov 14, 2014 at 6:59
  • $\begingroup$ @EchoLogic That is an interesting distinction. $\endgroup$
    – geoffc
    Jun 4, 2015 at 13:42

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Looks like SpaceX holds the record for now. An interesting distinction is whether a vertical integration facility counts. Which I do. In that case ULA has built a pad for Atlas and Delta on each coast, so 4.

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