Tag: FAA
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SpaceX Pairs Booster 22 and Ship 42 for Flight 15 Cryogenic Testing
SpaceX has moved Super Heavy Booster 22 from Mega Bay 1 to the Massey’s test site at Starbase, where Ship 42 has joined it for cryogenic proof testing ahead of their planned pairing on Starship Flight 15. The mission could launch roughly one month after Flight 14 if the preceding flight meets its objectives and…
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SpaceX FCC Filing Outlines First Full Orbital Attempt for Starship Flight 14
SpaceX has submitted communications applications to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for Starship Flight 14, formally identifying the mission as the program’s first attempt to place the vehicle into a sustained Earth orbit. The paperwork requests authority to operate launch-vehicle communications during a window beginning September 15, 2026, and extending through March 15, 2027. The…
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SpaceX Poised to Build New Coastal Spaceport in Louisiana’s Vermilion Parish
SpaceX is set to build a new spaceport along roughly 18 miles of coastal land in southern Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, creating another launch location for the company as it expands its rocket operations, according to information emerging from Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s office. The proposed facility would be built on a roughly 130,000-acre tract in…
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Trump Sets 1,000-Plus Annual Launch Target as White House Rewrites U.S. Space Transportation Policy
The White House is targeting more than 1,000 space launches and reentries from U.S. soil every year by 2030 under a new national space transportation policy signed by President Donald Trump on Aug. 20, 2026. The National Security Presidential Memorandum replaces the previous National Space Transportation Policy issued in 2013 and establishes a commercial-first framework…
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FCC Proposes Auction of 160 MHz in Upper C-Band Spectrum
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is preparing to vote on a proposal to auction 160 megahertz (MHz) of upper C-band spectrum, a move that would require satellite operators to clear frequencies by deploying new satellites and upgrading ground infrastructure. The proposal covers spectrum between 3.98 GHz and 4.14 GHz and is scheduled for a…
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SpaceX tests upcoming Starfall reentry vehicle with demonstration mission on Tuesday
Early Tuesday morning, SpaceX launched a demonstration mission for its Starfall reentry vehicle. Falcon 9 lifted off at 6:53 AM EDT (10:53 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Weather was 95% “go” for launch, with the only concerns being the cumulus cloud rule. Riding within…
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FAA Grounds Starship After Latest Test Flight Anomaly
What caused the FAA to ground SpaceX’s Starship program? The Federal Aviation Administration has halted all Starship operations following an undisclosed anomaly during SpaceX’s latest test flight, marking the second regulatory investigation of the 400-foot super heavy-lift vehicle this year. The grounding immediately suspends SpaceX’s ambitious launch cadence targeting 25 Starship flights in 2026, potentially…
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FAA requires SpaceX-led mishap investigation before resumption of Starship launches
A closeup shot of SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster, tail number Booster 19, during the initial moments of ascent on the Starship Flight 12 mission on May 22, 2026. Image: SpaceX FAA requires SpaceX-led mishap investigation before resumption of Starship launches The Federal Aviation Administration made the determination after analyzing the results of Starship Flight 12,…
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FAA advances approval for up to 44 Starship launches from 39A
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reached a critical milestone in its environmental review process for SpaceX’s Starship operations at Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) on NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The summary overview, released on Friday, is ahead of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), anticipated for release imminently, following the Draft EIS issued in…
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FAA Warns Airlines to Plan for Rising Risks From Space Launch Debris
Commercial airlines should plan for an increased risk from space launch and reentry activity, including rare but potentially serious debris events, the Federal Aviation Administration said in guidance issued earlier this month, as the pace of spaceflight accelerates. In a Safety Alert for Operators, SAFO 26001, the FAA advised carriers and flight crews to prepare…