SpaceX Is Requesting FAA Approval For Starship Catch Attempts

Summary

The FAA has released a draft environmental assessment for SpaceX Starship operations, focusing on airspace closures, aircraft hazard areas (AHAs), and orbital return-to-launch-site attempts. SpaceX seeks to update its license for advanced flight profiles, including Starship V3 launches and eventual tower catch attempts. AHAs could impact up to 200 commercial flights per hour, with up to 4,400 flights per year affected. Debris from launches is largely inert, and SpaceX plans prompt cleanup of any hazardous materials. Public comments are open until October 20, with key flights and potential catch attempts projected for early to mid-2026, as launch cadence and infrastructure expand.

Takeaways

• 🚀 The FAA released a draft tiered environmental assessment for SpaceX Starship operations, focusing on airspace closures and safety.
• 🛰️ SpaceX seeks to modify its vehicle operator license to support new orbital Starship flight profiles from Starbase, Texas.
• ✈️ Superheavy booster landings could impact 10–200 commercial aircraft per hour, depending on time of day and traffic levels.
• 🌎 Starship return-to-launch-site (RTLS) operations could affect air routes covering 3,700 nautical miles across Texas, California, Mexico, and the Pacific Ocean.
• 💥 Debris from launch anomalies could create hazards, but most materials, including stainless steel and thermal tiles, are non-toxic and sink rapidly in water.
• 🗓️ Public comment on the FAA assessment is open until October 20th, with a public meeting scheduled for October 7th.
• 🚢 The earliest opportunity for an RTLS catch attempt of Starship’s upper stage is expected around Flight 13, likely in early to mid-2026.
• 🏗️ SpaceX is expanding infrastructure, including a transport ship to move Starship stages to Cape Canaveral and preparing for increased launch cadence.
• ⏱️ Previous launches, such as Flight 10, demonstrated minimal air traffic disruption, with airspace reopening within 7–10 minutes due to effective coordination.
• 📉 Aircraft hazard areas (AHAs) are expected to shrink as flight reliability improves, with SpaceX building flight heritage to reduce geographic and temporal impact.
• 🛰️ Starship V3 flights are expected to improve vehicle reliability, reduce hazards, and allow higher launch frequency without disrupting other operators at Cape Canaveral.
• ⚖️ SpaceX emphasizes coordination with FAA and other providers to integrate high-cadence launches into a near airport-like system for national airspace safety.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the FAA's draft environmental assessment regarding Starship operations?

The FAA's draft assessment evaluates modifications to SpaceX’s Starship Superheavy operations at Starbase, Texas, focusing on airspace closures, aircraft hazard areas, and the impact of orbital flights and return-to-launch-site (RTLS) attempts.

Why does SpaceX want to modify its existing vehicle operator license?

SpaceX seeks a license modification to support new Starship operations, including orbital flights and RTLS catches, which involve different flight profiles and updated safety considerations at the Starbase launch site.

What are the expected impacts of Starship launches and RTLS operations on commercial aircraft?

Superheavy booster launches and RTLS operations could affect 10–200 commercial aircraft per hour, with RTLS AHAs potentially impacting up to 4,400 flights per year during daytime hours.

How large are the aircraft hazard areas (AHAs) for Starship RTLS operations?

The RTLS AHAs could extend approximately 3,700 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean, Mexico, Southern Texas, California, and the Gulf, covering a significant portion of affected airspace.

What materials are expected in Starship debris fields and are they hazardous?

Debris would primarily consist of stainless steel, which is non-toxic and inert, and silica thermal tiles, which are glass-like and highly resistant to degradation. SpaceX plans to implement cleanup measures if any debris reaches the environment.

What is the timeline for public involvement in the FAA's environmental assessment?

The public comment period is open until October 20, with a public meeting scheduled for October 7, before the FAA finalizes the environmental assessment.

When is the earliest potential Starship tower catch attempt expected?

The earliest potential catch attempt is around flight 13, which is projected for early to mid-2026, depending on the success of preceding V3 variant flights.

How does SpaceX plan to manage increased launch cadence and infrastructure?

SpaceX is expanding launch infrastructure, including transport ships for moving Starship stages, and coordinating operations to maintain high reliability while minimizing impacts on nearby airspace and other launch operators.

How has coordination with the FAA affected past Starship launches?

During past flights, such as flight 10, FAA coordination allowed airspace to reopen within 7–10 minutes, demonstrating minimal disruption to air traffic and effective integration into the national airspace system.

How do AHAs change as SpaceX gains more flight experience?

As flight heritage builds, AHAs tend to decrease in both size and duration. This has been observed with Falcon 9 launches, where hazard areas for Starlink missions were reduced by approximately 66% since 2022.

Will Starship operations interfere with other launch providers at Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral?

According to SpaceX, the new data and methodology for evaluating hazard areas indicate that Starship operations will not disrupt other launch operators at these facilities.

What are the main risks considered in the FAA assessment for Starship operations?

The FAA assessment considers risks to aircraft from AHAs, potential debris fields from launch or re-entry failures, environmental impacts of hazardous materials, and the effects on air traffic and other launch sites.