[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 97 (Wednesday, May 21, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 21820]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-09079]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Availability of the Tiered Environmental Assessment for 
Updates to Airspace Closures for the Flight 9 Mission Profile of the 
SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Vehicle 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 Tiered 
Environmental Assessment (Tiered EA) and Finding of No Significant 
Impact/Record of Decision (FONSI/ROD) for Updates to Airspace Closures 
for the Flight 9 Mission Profile of the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy 
Vehicle at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas. 
(Tiered EA FONSI/ROD).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tiered Environmental Assessment for 
Updates to Airspace Closures for the Flight 9 Mission Profile of the 
SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Vehicle at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch 
Site in Cameron County, Texas tiers from the 2022 Final PEA and April 
2025 Tiered EA and is evaluating the updates to the Aircraft Hazard 
Area and Notice to Airmen for SpaceX's operation of the Starship-Super 
Heavy launch program at the Boca Chica vertical launch area (VLA) in 
Cameron County, Texas. SpaceX must obtain a new license or modification 
of its existing vehicle operator license from the FAA to operate the 
Starship-Super Heavy Flight 9 mission profile. The federal action also 
includes the FAA's issuance of temporary airspace closures. Based on 
the safety analysis for Starship-Super Heavy Flight 9, an Aircraft 
Hazard Area and associated Notice to Airmen would necessitate FAA to 
close airspace over a portion of the Bahamas and the Turks & Caicos 
Islands. Starship-Super Heavy Flight 9 will impact air routes extending 
eastward from the Boca Chica launch site through the Straits of 
Florida, covering approximately 1,600 nautical miles. The designated 
Aircraft Hazard Area will necessitate the closure of more than 70 
airways (established aircraft routes) across the Gulf of America and 
now, due to vehicle reliability, include the Lucayan Archipelago 
(Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Islands). Bahamas and Turks & Caicos are 
expected to close their respective airspace up to 6,000 feet and FAA 
will close the airspace above that. This is an update to the existing 
operations involving the Starship-Super Heavy described in the April 
2025 Tiered EA.
    The FAA has posted the Tiered EA and FONSI/ROD on the FAA Office of 
Commercial Space Transportation website: https://www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/spacex_starship/.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on: May 15, 2025.
Stacey Molinich Zee,
Manager, Operations Support Branch.
[FR Doc. 2025-09079 Filed 5-20-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P