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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a draft environmental assessment (EA) proposing an increase in SpaceX’s annual Starship launches. The assessment, published on November 20, outlines the possibility of raising the current limit of five launches per year from Starbase in South Texas to 25 by 2025. This draft also includes approvals for 25 landings of the spacecraft’s Super Heavy booster and upper-stage vehicle at the same site, utilising the launch tower’s “chopstick” catching mechanism.
SpaceX Might Get Approval in 2025
As per a report by Space.com, SpaceX might get FAA approval for launching 25 Starship spacecrafts in 2025. SpaceX’s Starship, recognised as the largest and most powerful rocket constructed, is central to the company’s vision for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Measuring 400 feet in height and designed for full reusability, the vehicle has been launched six times to date, all from the Starbase facility. During its most recent flight on November 19, 2024, the mission achieved success, though a communications malfunction necessitated the booster to perform a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico instead of returning to the launch tower.
The FAA’s draft, while outlining these expanded operational capabilities, remains in a preliminary phase. Public consultations will take place in January, with four in-person meetings in South Texas on January 7 and January 9, alongside a virtual session on January 13. Feedback from these discussions will shape the final environmental assessment.