A day after SpaceX launched its Starship rocket for the sixth time, the company received good news from the Federal Aviation Administration regarding future launch operations from its Starbase facility in South Texas.
In a draft version of what is known as an “Environmental Assessment,” the FAA indicated that it will grant SpaceX permission to increase the number of Starship launches in South Texas to 25 per year from the current limit of five. Additionally, the company will likely be allowed to continue increasing the size and power of the Super Heavy booster stage and Starship upper stage.
“FAA has concluded that the modification of SpaceX’s existing vehicle operator license for Starship/Super Heavy operations conforms to the prior environmental documentation, consistent with the data contained in the 2022 PEA, that there are no significant environmental changes, and all pertinent conditions and requirements of the prior approval have been met or will be met in the current action,” the federal agency stated in its conclusion.
The FAA regulates the launch of rockets from the United States and is responsible for the safety of people and property on the ground.
What happens next
The ongoing environmental review stems from SpaceX’s desire to increase the scope of its operations from South Texas and is not yet finalized. Beginning today, the FAA will open a public comment period that will close on January 17. In addition, the FAA will hold five public meetings to solicit feedback from the local community and other stakeholders.
The 158-page document makes for interesting reading, and it details the extent to which the FAA and other agencies reviewed air quality, climate, water, noise, cultural, wildlife, and other impacts. In all of these areas, the federal agency concluded that the mitigations SpaceX undertook as part of the 2022 environmental review process are sufficient to account for the increase in its Texas launch activities.