By The Epoch Times | Created at 2025-03-15 20:41:03 | Updated at 2025-03-16 15:24:19
18 hours ago
After finding the company’s proposal will have no adverse effect on the human environment, the agency slates a public review.
MERRITT ISLAND, Fla.—SpaceX launch activity on Florida’s space coast could increase to once every three days, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is allowing for public review of its Draft Environmental Assessment of that change.
The private space company is currently approved to use Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for 50 Falcon 9 rocket operations a year. Now it wants to increase operations to up to 120 per year, and build a new landing zone for the Falcon 9’s first stage at that launch site, using it for up to 34 landings per year.
The assessment outlined the proposed plans, and their various environmental and cultural effects, and it seems that the FAA found the proposal to have no significant effect.
After assessing possible impacts on air quality, climate, noise, and cultural and water resources, along with steps to contain hazardous materials, solid waste, and pollution, the FAA stated the following:
“Based on the above review ... the FAA has preliminarily concluded that the Proposed Action would not significantly affect the quality of the human environment.”
The FAA is also working with the Department of the Air Force for this draft environmental assessment, and the FAA has posted a link to the Air Force’s assessment for public comment.
A virtual public meeting will be held on April 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and a public comment period on both the assessment and the finding will remain open until April 24.
This assessment comes as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration continues to evaluate another SpaceX proposal to construct a Falcon 9 landing zone adjacent to historic Launch Complex 39A at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, and a further increase in that launch pad’s use to 36 launches per year, five of which could be the three-piece Falcon Heavy rocket. The new landing zone would be capable of receiving 20 landings, with the remainder landing on a drone ship off the coast.
SpaceX currently uses both Launch Complex 40 and Launch Complex 39A for manned and unmanned spaceflights, sending Crew-10 to the International Space Station from the latter on March 14, just two days after launching more Starlink satellites from the prior.
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Construction of a Starship launch tower has also begun at Launch Pad 39A, while test flights of the behemoth moon-and-Mars-bound ship continue in southeast Texas.
