SpaceX asks for up to 456 Starship launches a year from Starbase; FAA opens review

The US Federal Aviation Administration has started an environmental review of SpaceX's request to fly Starship-Super Heavy up to 456 times a year from its Boca Chica launch site at Starbase, Texas. On 14 October the FAA announced that it intends to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) and opened a public scoping period. The review also covers expanding where Starship can land or be expended.

What SpaceX is asking for

According to the FAA notice, the proposal comes in two phases:

• Phase 1: up to 100 launches and 200 landings a year (100 Starship, 100 Super Heavy), on any day and at any time.
• Phase 2: up to 456 launches and 912 landings a year. Launches could happen at any time of day, but only Monday to Friday. The FAA describes this as a mature programme that would be reached "within several years".

The landing count is double because both stages are designed to come back: the Super Heavy booster and the Ship upper stage are meant to be caught by the launch tower's arms. Temporary airspace closures linked to the launches are part of the review too.

For comparison, Space.com notes that SpaceX is currently allowed 25 Starship launches a year from Starbase. The rocket has flown 14 times, all test flights; on the latest one, on 28 September, it reached orbit for the first time and deployed Starlink V3 satellites.

How to have your say

The FAA is collecting comments on what the study should cover. A draft PEIS will be published for comment later.

• In person: 17 November (Texas Southmost College, Brownsville) and 19 November (Port Isabel Event & Cultural Center), with sessions at 1–3 p.m. and 5:30–7:30 p.m. Central time.
• Online: 18 November, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Central time.
• Written comments: on regulations.gov under docket FAA-2026-12808 until 30 November 2026.

An FAA review is not an approval. The number of flights SpaceX actually gets will depend on the final environmental analysis and on later licence decisions.