If rain is really a problem, I suggest getting out of the southeast states of the former Confederacy.
Go west, spaceman, go west.

Of course it is a fleece job. Fivedollargold is surprised that Musk didn't negotiate a long-term deal with the Port Authority when he did so with NASA for use of the Cape. Oversight.

On a related issue, has anyone heard of plans to take SpaceX public?

Given the fact that Elon Musk is the Grand Mufti of crony capitalism, there is some ironically poetic justice to be found in this. :)

There have been proposed alternate coastal launch sites, like Padre Island in Texas, Cat Island off the Mississippi coast, and island sites off the Georgia and North & South Carolina coasts. Until a solid safety record is established, inland launch sites are likely to be restricted to suborbital flight, or takeoff and landing of aircraft carrying launch stages. Launch and reentry over populated areas is unlikely for the time being.

One correction: the SpaceX booster does not use solid propellants. The main thrusters use LOX and RP-1 (liquid oxygen and kerosene). The exhaust does leave a soot component on the deck, so the rest is correct.

There may also be a resentment motive among space program bureaucrats over a private company showing Big Brother up.
Progress made for doing anything is always retarded by crippling fees and taxes.

In the past I've spent much time in Florida and it does rain a lot.
So I would suggest the SpaceX company buy private property in a desert state like Utah and create a space port of its own.
Just first make sure there is no lizard or insect around that's naturally going Darwin so the EPA
won't come along and make them tear the space port back down.

another example of govt out of control...thank you for the info....

So if I buy a boat and catch a fish while on my boat I need to pay a port fee? If I get a suntan on my boat I need to pay a port fee for the photons?

Government always has to have its hand in every pocket.

WOW...think we should be making "Chemtrails" over washington with that stuff. Problem solved...the kakistocracy has been etched away for good!

It both ruined the paint and started etching away metal. It is a fairly strong acid.

I guess that was Not their lucky day...what did it do, ruin the paint? the body?

They do their best, but it's not a perfect process. Engineering surfaces is a big part of our nanotech program.

Ditto...thanks.
I would have thought they'd cover the thing so it can't wash off.

Thanks for the understandable explanation, jb.

The vast majority of the solid rocket booster reagent is consumed during the rocket launch, but there is a residue that sticks to the vessel. This residue is water-soluble, so the threat to the environment is only serious if it rains, which happens a lot here in a Florida summer.

What environmental impact? is it leaking something? or is this a liberal sky is falling thing.

I know of a couple of retired rocket engineers whose cars were ruined by solid rocket booster exhaust.

Maybe, I am not a booster engineer or have any knowledge of them. It just seems funny that it comes up when they start actually doing them, rather than as a cost analysis would predict beforehand. Maybe just poor planning, not unknown to govt agencies.

Maybe, but I wonder how much of this was just "looting" Jeff Bezos.

Charging a higher fee for the additional security needs is probably merited. Knowing what I do about rocket boosters, the environmental impact is also definitely higher than is typical for most cargo. However, the booster is far from the heaviest item to come into Port Canaveral. There is some price gouging here, above and beyond what would be a reasonable surcharge for additional impact on Port Canaveral, but not as much as most think.

Note: I pay a small tax (about $100 of my $3000 per year property tax) to the Port Canaveral Taxing Authority. I don't want additional impact fees that should be charged to port users to be passed on to me.