FAA Reveals More Details For SpaceX’s Starship Mars Rocket Site In Texas

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Wccftech By Ramish Zafar 12/22/2020

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) moved forward in its evaluation of SpaceX's proposed rocket facilities in Boca Chica, Texas. This progress comes in the form of the agency opening requests for public comment regarding the proposed facility construction, and in the process, providing brief details of what SpaceX's operational base will be made up of. Today's request comes after the FAA opened up a new environmental review for the Boca Chica site due to the vastly different nature of operation between SpaceX's in-development Starship launch vehicle platform and its operational Falcon 9 rocket lineup.

SpaceX To Add New Launch, Landing Sites In Boca Chica Texas As It Ramps Up Preparations For Super Heavy Booster Tests

The FAA's primary goal in evaluating SpaceX's plans for the Boca Chica site is to determine whether the proposed operations cause any threat to the surrounding environment and wildlife. These concerns cover a variety of areas, such as Starship's fuel. The vehicle will use liquified methane as its fuel, with the gas itself responsible for contributing to greenhouse emissions, and the FAA is the final authority to determine whether current and proposed operations violate any pre-set limits.

After it commenced the Environmental Assessment (EA) late last month, the agency is back almost a month later to solicit public comments for the facility. As part of this solicitation, the FAA has opened up a public scoping period which will expire a month from now on the 22nd of January, 2021.

More: https://wccftech.com/faa-reveals-more-details-for-spacexs-starship-mars-rocket-site-in-texas/

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FAA Begins Scoping Period for Environmental Review at SpaceX Launch Site

https://www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=96319

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is holding a public scoping period for the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) related to plans by SpaceX to apply for licenses for suborbital and orbital launches of its Starship/Super Heavy project at its facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

The scoping period will help the FAA in determine the scope of issues for analysis in the draft EA. The FAA requests public comments on potential alternatives and impacts, and identification of any relevant information, studies, or analyses of any kind concerning impacts affecting the quality of the human environment. The FAA also invites comments on its consideration of preparing a Programmatic EA for this effort.

The deadline to submit comments is January 22, 2021, and may be submitted to the following email address: spacexbocachica@icf.com.

The proposed update to Starship/Super Heavy operations falls outside of the scope of the existing final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision for the Boca Chica launch site and requires additional environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). SpaceX is working with the FAA to prepare a draft EA which will be subject to the FAA’s evaluation and approval.

The EA will allow the FAA to determine the appropriate course of action: preparation of an EIS because the proposed action’s environmental impacts would be significant; issuance of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI); or issuance of a “Mitigated FONSI” providing for mitigation measures to address the proposed action’s environmental impacts. The FAA may determine which course of action it will take during the EA process or after SpaceX presents a draft EA for FAA approval.

As part of the application process, SpaceX must also complete a safety review and develop agreements in addition to the environmental review.

Information about the FAA environmental review process as it relates to commercial space transportation is posted at faa.gov/space/environmental.