[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 90 (Monday, May 12, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 20203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08232]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Availability of the Final Tiered Environmental 
Assessment and Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of 
Decision for SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Vehicle Increased Cadence at 
the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is announcing the availability of the Final Tiered 
Environmental Assessment and Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact 
and Record of Decision for SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Vehicle 
Increased Cadence at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron 
County, Texas (Final Tiered EA and Mitigated FONSI/ROD).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA is the lead agency. The National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Park Service, the 
U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are 
cooperating agencies due to their special expertise and/or 
jurisdiction. The FAA evaluated SpaceX's proposal to increase the 
launch and landing cadence of the Starship/Super Heavy launch vehicle 
at its existing Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas. SpaceX 
must obtain a modification of their existing vehicle operator license 
from the FAA to operate Starship/Super Heavy at an increased cadence. 
Under the Proposed Action, the FAA would modify SpaceX's existing 
vehicle operator license to authorize SpaceX to increase the cadence of 
the Starship/Super Heavy launch program at the Boca Chica vertical 
launch area (VLA) in Cameron County, Texas to up to 25 annual launches, 
up to 25 annual landings of Starship (second stage), up to 25 annual 
landings of Super Heavy (first stage) and make vehicle and operational 
upgrades. Up to three launches (of the total 25) would occur during 
nighttime hours from the VLA. Landings at the VLA would only take place 
during the daytime, with up to 22 Starship and 22 Super Heavy landings 
at the VLA. Daytime landings of either vehicle may also take place 
offshore as well. Up to three landings of Starship and three offshore 
landings of Super Heavy may occur at night. SpaceX would also conduct 
up to 90 seconds of licensed daytime Starship static fire tests and 70 
seconds of licensed daytime Super Heavy static fire tests a year. The 
federal action also includes the FAA's issuance of temporary airspace 
closures.
    The Final Tiered EA evaluated the potential environmental impacts 
of the Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative. Under the No 
Action Alternative, the FAA would not modify a license to SpaceX to 
allow for increased launch and landing cadence from the Boca Chica 
launch site. As assessed in the 2022 Final Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment (PEA) for the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Launch Vehicle 
Program at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas 
and subsequent Written Re-evaluations (WRs), SpaceX could conduct up to 
five annual Starship and up to five annual Super Heavy launches (with 
Starship attached as the second stage of the launch vehicle), up to ten 
annual Starship landings, and up to five annual Super Heavy landings. 
The Starship/Super Heavy launch vehicles would not be modified and 
would remain the same as assessed in the 2022 PEA. This alternative 
provides the basis for comparing the environmental consequences of the 
Proposed Action.
    The FAA published the Draft EA for a 30-day public comment period 
that began on July 29, 2024, and ended on August 29, 2024. The FAA 
issued a Revised Draft EA and initiated a new 45-day public comment 
period that began on November 20, 2024, and ended on January 17, 2025. 
The FAA received thousands of public comments on the Revised Draft EA. 
The revised Draft Tiered EA was revised based on public comments, and 
the Final Tiered EA includes responses to substantive comments. The FAA 
has posted the Final Tiered EA and Mitigated FONSI/ROD on the FAA 
Office of Commercial Space Transportation website: https://www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/spacex_starship/.
    Authority: The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321-4336) and FAA Order 1050.1F, 
Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on: May 6, 2025.
Stacey Molinich Zee,
Manager, Operations Support Branch.
[FR Doc. 2025-08232 Filed 5-9-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P