On October 12, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding a proposal by SpaceX to increase commercial operations to up to 456 Starship launches and 912 landings annually at its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
Signalling the opening of formal environmental scoping, the federal notice outlines an operational framework that would allow more than one orbital launch per day on average, marking an expansion from the 25 annual launches previously approved by the agency.
Phased Flight Profile and Dual-Stage Landing Logistics
The proposed launch profile introduces a two-phase operational progression designed to match Starship’s industrial manufacturing scaling:
- Phase 1 Cadence: Authorizes up to 100 annual Starship-Super Heavy launches and 200 landings. Operations under this introductory phase could take place on any day of the week and at any hour.
- Phase 2 Cadence: Expands authorized operations to 456 launches and 912 landings annually. Flight operations under this mature phase would be restricted to weekdays (Monday through Friday), but permitted at any hour of the day or night.
The 912 annual landing ceiling accommodates the two-stage reusable architecture of the launch vehicle, which pairs the 33-engine Super Heavy first-stage booster with the Starship upper stage. Because both stages are engineered for rapid recovery and reuse, each mission accounts for two separate landing events. Under Phase 2, the operational cadence equates to an average of 1.75 launches and 3.5 landings per weekday.
To support mission profiles, SpaceX proposes multiple booster recovery modes. The Super Heavy booster will either return directly to the Starbase launch pad for capture by mechanical tower arms, perform a soft water landing in the Gulf of Mexico, or be intentionally expended in flight. Concurrently, the Starship upper stage will land at Starbase, touch down in the Gulf of Mexico or open ocean, or undergo controlled oceanic disposal. The proposal also permits spacecraft originating from outside launch facilities to land at the South Texas complex.
Regulatory Lineage and Starbase Authorization Context
The request marks a notable shift in the regulatory scale of Starbase operations. In May 2025, the FAA approved up to 25 Starship launches annually following the completion of a tiered environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Prior to that decision, the facility operated under an initial five-flight annual authorization.
The expanded launch envelope reflects broader federal efforts to modernize commercial space licensing. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed targeted revisions to FAA Part 450 launch and reentry regulations to reduce procedural redundancies for high-cadence commercial operators. All current Starbase flight tests continue under the existing 25-launch authorization while the new environmental review is pending.
Federal Regulatory Positioning and Mission Rationale
In its formal regulatory notice, the FAA highlighted the technical parameters and evolving requirements driving the expansion request.
“Starship-Super Heavy is composed of two stages: Super Heavy is the first stage (or booster), and Starship is the second stage,” the FAA stated in its official filing. “SpaceX proposes to increase Starship-Super Heavy launch, as well as Super Heavy and Starship landing operations at the Boca Chica Launch Site at Starbase, Texas. In addition, SpaceX proposes to expand Starship landing and expenditure locations to support the evolving needs of the Starship programme and broader space exploration objectives.”
Achieving the proposed flight rate provides the operational foundation required to support high-density satellite deployment manifests, orbital propellant transfer depots, NASA Artemis lunar landings, and long-range Mars transport architectures.
Public Consultation Timeline and Environmental Scoping Schedule
The FAA has initiated a public consultation window to gather interagency and public feedback on potential environmental impacts, including noise contours, coastal access, local wildlife habitats, and regional airspace management.
As part of the environmental scoping process, the FAA will conduct four in-person public consultation sessions and one virtual meeting. Public sessions begin on November 17 in Brownsville, followed by meetings in Port Isabel, with the formal public comment window open through late November 2026. The findings from these proceedings will determine the scope of the draft Environmental Impact Statement prior to any final licensing determination.
