Cape Canaveral Seeks Grants to Protect City from Rocket Launch Impacts

City officials eye potential damage from SpaceX Starship and Blue Origin New Glenn launches

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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Cape Canaveral leaders are seeking state and federal grants to mitigate potential infrastructure damages caused by vibrations and sonic booms from the expected increase in rocket launches, including SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn. The city previously partnered with the Florida Institute of Technology to study launch impacts, but the university withdrew due to the limited scope of the $10,019 project. City officials are now looking to hire a full-time grant writer to pursue funding for a more comprehensive study on protecting the city's infrastructure.

Why it matters

As the frequency and size of rocket launches from Cape Canaveral continue to increase, the city is concerned about the potential for vibration and sonic boom damage to its infrastructure. With SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn rockets expected to launch soon, Cape Canaveral wants to get ahead of the issue and secure funding to study and mitigate any potential damages.

The details

Cape Canaveral City Manager Keith Touchberry said the city has "more questions than answers" about the potential impacts of the larger and more frequent rocket launches. The city previously partnered with the Florida Institute of Technology to install monitoring equipment, but the university withdrew due to the limited scope of the $10,019 project. Now, the city is looking to "scour" for available state and federal grants, potentially including funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the PROTECT competitive grant program.

  • The first Florida Starship launch could occur as early as late summer or fall of 2026.
  • Blue Origin officials hope to ramp up launches of their 322-foot New Glenn heavy-lift rockets in 2026.
  • The third-ever New Glenn rocket may launch as early as late February 2026, propelling AST SpaceMobile's next-generation Block 2 BlueBird satellite into low-Earth orbit.

The players

Keith Touchberry

Cape Canaveral City Manager, who said the city has "more questions than answers" about the potential impacts of the larger and more frequent rocket launches.

Tim Kay Jackson

Cape Canaveral Mayor Pro Tem, who spearheaded the discussion on preparing the city for the expected increase in rocket launches.

Brian Chatman

Space Force Col., who called 2026 "the year of the giants" in Brevard at a January space conference in Orlando.

Florida Institute of Technology

The university previously partnered with Cape Canaveral to study launch impacts, but withdrew due to the limited scope of the $10,019 project.

AST SpaceMobile

The company whose next-generation Block 2 BlueBird satellite may be launched by the third-ever New Glenn rocket as early as late February 2026.

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What they’re saying

“We need more data, as well. I think we suspect that we're going to sustain potential vibration damages. And what does that look like for us? And will there be other sources of revenue available in the event that that happens?”

— Keith Touchberry, Cape Canaveral City Manager (floridatoday.com)

“This is an evolving business. You know, the space industry is so important to this nation. And what partnerships can we engage in with NASA, with free enterprise up there, with commercial space? What partnerships can we initiate with them that could benefit the city financially?”

— Keith Touchberry, Cape Canaveral City Manager (floridatoday.com)

“These launches are coming. And we are looking at, how do we prepare our city? We're here. We're part of the space industry itself, with the fact that we have workers that live here and we have been part of the history of the space programs.”

— Tim Kay Jackson, Cape Canaveral Mayor Pro Tem (floridatoday.com)

What’s next

The Cape Canaveral City Council plans to task staff members to "get out there and really scour what's available from a grant perspective" to fund a more comprehensive study on protecting the city's infrastructure from potential rocket launch impacts. The council may receive an update on their progress as early as the next council meeting.

The takeaway

As the space industry continues to grow and launch frequency increases, Cape Canaveral is proactively seeking funding to study and mitigate potential infrastructure damages from the vibrations and sonic booms of larger rockets like SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn. This highlights the need for cities hosting major launch operations to stay ahead of the curve and partner with the space industry to protect their communities.