KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – SpaceX is planning to expand its presence at Kennedy Space Center with a towering launch control center, rocket refurbishment center and a rocket garden, according to a proposal.
The California-based company, led by billionaire Elon Musk, is well-established on the Space Coast with two launchpads, one at Kennedy and one at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and a hangar at Port Canaveral.
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According to a draft environmental assessment prepared by SpaceX and NASA, the expansion would provide a space for booster and fairing processing, storage and a launch and landing control center.
SpaceX also has plans to refurbish Area 59 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to process its Dragon space capsule in which NASA astronauts will be shuttled to and from the International Space Station.
SpaceX recovers its first-stage rocket boosters post-launch at sea and on land and is working toward recovering the rocket's nose cone, or fairings. It's all part of Musk's goal to make launching rockets more affordable and increase access to space, which is funding his ultimate goal of colonizing Mars.
The new SpaceX Operations Area would be built on 67 undeveloped acres on Kennedy Space Center off Roberts Road.
10 Falcon Heavy launches, 63 landings a year
The plans also reveal the future rate at which SpaceX plans to launch its most powerful rocket: the Falcon Heavy.
"SpaceX estimates there may be up to ten events per year for a Falcon Heavy launch, and up to 63 landings," according to the document.
Those launch and landing numbers reflect a long-term goal. Falcon Heavy had its maiden launch in February.
SpaceX is on track to double its launch and landing cadence from last year. President Gwynne Shotwell previously said the company planned to increase its launch rate by 50 percent this year. Last year, SpaceX had 18 launches.
Those landings would include Falcon 9 first-stage landings and Falcon Heavy landings, during which three boosters will land either at sea or back at Cape Canaveral.
SpaceX needs more space to handle the growing number of launches and reusable rocket hardware. The company has more than $10 billion launches under contract.
The new Block 5 Falcon 9 rocket can fly up 10 times without major refurbishment and is expected to launch up to 100 times before being decommissioned.
The company is working on also recovering the $6 million fairings after launch, which make up the nose cone of the rocket.
SpaceX most recently attempted to try and catch Falcon 9 fairings on a boat with a giant net in California called Mr. Steven. Musk said Mr. Steven is getting a bigger net after the fairings just missed the boat.
[RELATED: 3 ways new Block 5 Falcon 9 helps SpaceX launch faster, more often]
'World-class' launch and landing control center
A 32,000-feet launch and landing control center would be the center of SpaceX's new facilities.
"The launch control center is envisioned to be world-class, architecturally distinctive, and equipped for satellite, cargo, and crew missions," according to the proposal.
A 300-foot tower would include VIP viewing areas for customers.
133,000-foot processing and storage facility
A hangar to restore SpaceX's used rocket boosters and fairings would encompass 133,000 square feet.
If necessary, SpaceX would expand the building, adding more floors to make room for more flight hardware storage.
The hangar at Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A can currently hold up to three Falcon boosters, reports News 6 partner Florida Today.
Falcon 9, Dragon rocket garden
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has a historic rocket garden and SpaceX's new facilities would include a space for one of its own.
Several decommissioned Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rockets would be staged vertically or horizontally in this space.
No timeline was available for when the plans could be approved. Read the full Kennedy Space Center proposal here.