The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken a significant step toward approving an increased launch rate for SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft from its Boca Chica, Texas, facility. On Nov. 20, the FAA released an updated draft environmental assessment evaluating the potential impacts of raising the annual launch and landing limit to 25 for both the Starship upper stage and its Super Heavy booster.
Credit: Elon Musk/SpaceX
The release of the revised draft marks the start of a public comment period, which runs until Jan. 17, 2024. To gather public input, the FAA will host five meetings—four in-person events in Texas in early January and one virtual meeting on Jan. 13.
Proposed Launch Increase and Environmental Impacts
Currently, SpaceX is permitted to conduct up to five Starship/Super Heavy launches annually from its Starbase facility. The updated assessment considers a fivefold increase in launch activity. While the draft does not explicitly recommend approving the proposal, the FAA’s review suggests no major environmental concerns that would prevent the increase.
According to the FAA, the findings align with the environmental documentation from its 2022 Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA). The draft states that modifying SpaceX's existing license to accommodate the increased launch rate would meet all environmental conditions and requirements set in prior approvals.
Formal approval, however, hinges on the conclusion of the public comment period and the FAA’s review of submitted feedback. The agency has not provided a timeline for finalizing its decision.
Challenges and Delays
The process has faced delays. The FAA initially planned public hearings in August but postponed them, citing the need for additional information from SpaceX. Despite frustrations voiced by SpaceX over regulatory pace, FAA officials have emphasized their commitment to safety and compliance with interagency review processes.
Michael O’Donnell, Deputy Associate Administrator for the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation, acknowledged the challenges. “We’re doing all we can to move faster,” he said at a recent industry conference, noting that other federal agencies require 60 days to review certain FAA
actions.
Starship going through hot staging during recent Flight test. Credit: SpaceX
Latest Starship Test Flight
The updated draft was released just one day after SpaceX conducted the sixth flight test of its Starship vehicle on Nov. 19. During the test, Starship achieved a nominal ascent and stage separation. However, SpaceX aborted its planned "catch" landing of the Super Heavy booster due to a communication issue with the launch tower.
SpaceX explained that automated health checks of the tower hardware triggered the abort, resulting in the booster performing a divert maneuver for a soft splashdown in the ocean. The Starship upper stage also splashed down after completing its mission, which included successfully reigniting a single Raptor engine in space.
CEO Elon Musk later commented on the issue via social media, stating, “Lost comms to the launch tower computer. Catch would probably still have worked, but we weren’t sure, so erred on the side of caution.”
This was the fourth Starship test flight this year, following launches in March, June, and October. The most recent successful catch landing occurred during the October test, drawing significant attention to SpaceX's innovative recovery system.
What’s Next
The FAA’s decision on whether to modify SpaceX’s license will depend on the outcome of the public comment period and the agency’s comprehensive review. Meanwhile, SpaceX continues its efforts to develop Starship as a reusable launch system, central to its long-term plans for deep space exploration and interplanetary travel.
The coming months will determine whether SpaceX can significantly ramp up its launch cadence, a milestone that could transform commercial spaceflight operations.
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