A main source for the development is the environmental impact statement and its amendments, published on the FAA site[1].
May 2014 - FEIS[]
Exhibit 2.1-4a. Control Center Area Site Layout – Parcels 2 and 3
At this early stage, the intention was to use the Boca Chica launch site for Falcon 9 launches. Construction of Starship prototypes was not yet considered in the plans. The Control center area included three parcels:
The 4.0-acre Parcel 1 is located the furthest from the proposed vertical launch area and is bounded on the southeastern side by Boca Chica Boulevard and the southwestern side by Remedios Avenue (Exhibit 2.1-4a).
The 4.4-acre Parcel 2 is bounded on the southeastern side by Boca Chica Boulevard, on the southern end by San Martin Boulevard, and on the northwestern side by Esperson Street.
The 4.0-acre Parcel 3, which is the closest to the proposed vertical launch area, is located northeast of Eichorn Boulevard.
Exhibit 2.1-4b. Control Center Area Site Layout – Parcel 1
Proposed facility and infrastructure construction at the control center area would include the following:
Two launch control center buildings
Two payload processing facilities
Launch vehicle processing hangar
Two RF transmitter/receivers
Generators and diesel storage facilities
Roads, parking areas, fencing, security, lighting, and utilities
A satellite fuels and gas storage facility
November 2014 - Re-evaluation[]
Figure 1. Control Center Area Site Layout – Parcel 1 (Exhibit 2.4-1b in Final EIS)
In the re-evaluation, two modifications are described:
Figure 2. Control Center Area Site Layout – Parcels 2 and 3 (Exhibit 2.4-1a in Final EIS)
Expand Parcel 1 by approximately 7.2 acres and exclude development in Parcels 2 and 3 as described in the Final EIS (see Figures 1, 2 and 3). Developed area for the control center would total 11.4 acres instead of the previously analyzed 13.4 acres. There would be 2.0 acres of adjacent land held as “buffer.” While SpaceX has no current plans to develop these 2.0 acres, this land could be developed in the future. If so, the FAA would undertake further NEPA analysis to the extent necessary.
Develop solar array infrastructure on Parcel 1 to generate power (see Figure 4). Installation of the solar array infrastructure would occur on land not previously considered in the Final EIS. The solar panels would not be mirrored; therefore, there would be no visual or wildlife-related effects from solar glare. The solar power would be collected by batteries that would be contained inside one of the control center buildings. The solar array would be used to power construction at the control center and may need to be supplemented with other power sources (as described in the Final EIS) for operation of the completed control center. The final Mega-Wattage to be produced would be between 500 kW and 4 MW spread between 1 and 7 acres of land. On the land itself, only 55% would be covered with arrays with the other 45% left bare. Thus, the area of disturbed land comprising the array would be between 0.55 and 3.85 acres. The arrays would be approximately 3 feet off the ground tilted slightly to the south (though the direction will eventually be optimized for maximum flux).
Figure 4. Parcel 1 Showing Potential Solar Array Layout
October 2017 - Re-evaluation[]
As it is described in the October 2017 re-evaluation, SpaceX proposed the following changes:
expand Parcel 1 by approximately 1.6 acres for a total of approximately 12.8 acres
include development in Parcel 2, after excluding it in November 2014
"Planned facilities for Parcel 1 still include two payload processing hangars, two launch control center buildings, a launch vehicle processing hangar, and miscellaneous supporting equipment as described in the 2014 EIS. A solar array is still planned to be installed on Parcel 1, but the exact layout and extent of the array is still to be determined. The solar array would be located within the current proposed layout (Figure 3). The solar array would be about 5 feet tall, composed of non-highly-reflective materials, and oriented east towards the Gulf of Mexico and away from the Palmito Ranch Battlefield National Historic Landmark (NHL)."
Parcel two would be expanded by 1.6 acres for a total of approximately 6 acres. In the FEIS, this parcel included a launch control center and associated support infrastructure. Now these are replaced by following buildings:
Emergency Services Building
Falcon Support Building
Solar Array
SpaceX proposes to maintain the receivers/antenna dishes in Parcel 2. However, SpaceX proposes changes to the dimensions of the receivers.
Figure 2. Updated Proposed Layout of Control Center Area Parcel 1 (2014 WR)
Figure 3. Current Proposed Layout of Control Center Area Parcel 1 (Solar Array Location to be Determined)
Figure 5. Current Proposed Layout of Control Center Area Parcel 2 (Light Blue Represents Proposed Expansion)
Figure 6. Proposed Infrastructure for Control Center Area Parcel 2
Figure 7. Control Center Area Parcel 2 – Proposed Location of Solar Array in Orange
Figure 8. Looking West (Towards the NHL) at the Control Center Area Parcel 2 (Parcel 1 in the Background)
May 2019 - Re-evaluation[]
As SpaceX now has now specified its Starship testing program, several major changes are being proposed. These include:
Specification of the experimental test program, including starship and phases [to be described in the main article, linked here]
New commodities for the "Control center area" for phase one and two of the program
New commodities for the vertical launch area (VLA, test site) for phase one and two of the program
