Regulator Clears SpaceX Starship Launches 5 Times Oftener than Before

The US Federal Aviation Administration has approved an increase in the number of Starship rocket launches from SpaceX’s Texas site. The company will now be able to conduct up to 25 launches per year, five times more than before. The decision was made following an environmental review that showed that the increased launch frequency would not cause significant harm to the environment.

A draft of the permit was submitted to SpaceX about six months ago. During that time, the company developed schedules for delivering people and supplies to the launch site. A fivefold increase in rocket launches — about one every two weeks — will increase the volume of cargo delivered to the launch site. Previously, 6,000 trucks with fuel and supplies drove to the launch site to organize five Starship launches per year. Increasing the number of launches to 25 per year will require the annual movement of 23,771 trucks. The movement of trucks will have an impact on the ecosystem and the life of neighboring settlements, clearly not for the better, although it can also improve the economy of nearby towns. As for the increase in water consumption, which is largely used to extinguish the flames of rocket engines during launch, FAA officials did not see a critical increase in its consumption.

SpaceX is currently preparing for the ninth Starship launch and has already tested the engines of both stages. The date for that flight has not yet been announced.