SpaceX expecting long-awaited Starship decision on Monday

[Elderberry]

DigitalTrends By Trevor Mogg 6/12/2022

SpaceX may finally be given permission on Monday to conduct the first orbital launch of its next-generation Starship rocket that could one day launch astronauts to Mars.

The private space company led by Elon Musk is waiting on a decision from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has spent months assessing the suitability of SpaceX’s Boca Chica facility in Texas as a site for orbital launches involving what will be the most powerful rocket ever to fly.

Following several earlier delays of the publication of its verdict, the FAA said at the end of May that it would need another couple of weeks to complete its so-called Programmatic Environmental Assessment, the results of which will determine if SpaceX can launch the Starship from Boca Chica.

More: https://www.digitaltrends.com/space/spacex-expecting-long-awaited-starship-decision/

[Elderberry]

Space.News by Jeff Foust — June 13, 2022

https://spacenews.com/faa-environmental-review-to-allow-starship-orbital-launches-after-changes/

A Federal Aviation Administration environmental review has concluded that SpaceX can conduct orbital launches of its Starship vehicle from its Texas test site, but only after completing dozens of mitigations to reduce impacts on the environment and the public.

The FAA issued June 13, after nearly half a year of delays, what is formally known as a mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for SpaceX’s proposal to perform orbital launches of its Starship vehicle, atop its Super Heavy booster, from Boca Chica, Texas. The mitigated FONSI means that SpaceX is cleared, from an environmental standpoint, to carry out those launches once it implements more than 75 measures to mitigate environmental effects.

Among those mitigations is changes in closures in the road that leads to both the SpaceX site, called Starbase, as well as a public beach. SpaceX will provide more advanced notice of closures for testing and launches. It will be prohibited from closing access during 18 holidays and will be limited to five weekend closures per year. Closures will be limited to 500 hours a year for normal operations and up to 300 more hours “to address anomalies,” according to FAA documents. The review is for up to five orbital launches per year, as well as five suborbital launches and ground tests.

More at link.

[Elderberry]

Final Programmatic Environmental
Assessment for the SpaceX
Starship/Super Heavy Launch Vehicle
Program at the SpaceX Boca Chica
Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas

https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/2022-06/PEA_for_SpaceX_Starship_Super_Heavy_at_Boca_Chica_FINAL.pdf

[Elderberry]

SpaceX Starship Super Heavy at Boca Chica FONSI ROD

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Office of Commercial Space Transportation
Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision
for the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Launch Vehicle Program at the
SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas


https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/2022-06/20220613%20SpaceX%20Starship%20Super%20Heavy%20at%20Boca%20Chica_FONSI_ROD%20Final.pdf