WASHINGTON (
FAA
— The Federal Aviation Administration has granted permission for SpaceX to conduct up to 25 Starship launches per year from its facility in Texas, which is five times the previously set limitation.
The FAA issued a
record of decision
On May 6, an environmental review was published concerning a rise in launch activities from SpaceX’s Starbase facility located in Boca Chica, Texas. This evaluation looked into a proposal by SpaceX to carry out as many as 25 annual launches using their Starship/Super Heavy system from the Starbase site, alongside potentially conducting up to 25 landings for both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage per year.
The evaluation led to a determination officially referred to as a mitigated finding of no significant impact (FONSI). This indicates that the suggested rise in launch activities wouldn’t cause substantial environmental consequences necessitating an extensive environmental impact statement.
“The FAA concluded that the Proposed Action represents a reasonable, viable, practical, and sensible option for a federal decision considering the set goals and objectives,” as mentioned in the agency’s Record of Decision.
The authorization includes a comprehensive set of conditions, many carried over from previous environmental clearances and several being new stipulations. These specifically cover aspects related to wastewater releases from their launch deluge system, following claims that the firm operated this system without the necessary permissions.
Following a public comment period that encompassed two face-to-face gatherings in Brownsville, Texas, along with one online session held in January, the FAA made their determination. According to the administration, they collected 12,303 responses during the review phase of the environmental impact study.
During the online community gathering on January 13th, most attendees voiced their disapproval of the proposal. They raised concerns about several aspects outlined in the environmental impact study regarding possible future landing operations for the Starship spacecraft in the Pacific off the coast of Hawaii. It’s worth noting that SpaceX hasn’t conducted such landings yet and likely wouldn’t do them often since their primary intention is to eventually bring down the Starships at Starbase instead.
One change in the
final environmental assessment
Any landing of a starship in the Pacific would occur beyond the 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) exclusive economic zone encircling Hawaii, including an extra safety area around a marine national monument nearby. The Federal Aviation Administration mentioned this adjustment was prompted by feedback from the public.
Those even though they voiced their backing for Starship launches during the online community gathering showed certain hesitations. “We’re enthusiastic about SpaceX’s work,” mentioned David Dixon, indicating his ownership of properties located on South Padre Island just above Starbase, yet concerned over how launch-induced tremors might harm structures. “It definitely causes lasting damage.”
The Starbase evaluation is among multiple environmental assessments concerning new or expanded SpaceX launch operations at various sites. In March, the FAA initiated this process.
approved
a request from SpaceX to increase the number of Falcon 9 launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base’s Space Launch Complex (SLC) 4 from 36 per year to 50. The Department of the Air Force
has started another environmental review
to allow SpaceX to perform up to 100 Falcon launches a year from both SLC-4 and SLC-6, which SpaceX is converting to support Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches.
At Cape Canaveral, the FAA is conducting
a study on the impact of extra Falcon 9 launches from SLC-40
, featuring a virtual public meeting on May 8. The FAA is conducting a distinct environmental review separately.
For Starship launches from NASA’s Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center,
although the Department of the Air Force
is conducting its own assessment of possible Starship launch activities at Cape Canaveral’s SLC-37
, formerly utilized by the Delta 4, or a suggested new location at SLC-50.
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