SpaceX closer to approval for 25 Starship launches in 2025
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released a draft of the environmental assessment for SpaceX’s proposal to increase the frequency of launches and landings at the company’s Boca Chica facility.
The revised draft environmental assessment (EA) [PDF] considers allowing the Starlink parent to perform 25 orbital launches of the Starship stack per year, with 25 landings of the Ship and 25 of the Super Heavy booster.
SpaceX boss Elon Musk has been vocal in his criticism of the FAA. The FAA, however, has a clear set of rules it must follow, although we’re sure the billionaire won’t hold anything against the agency under a new US administration.
Musk has been tapped to head the Department of Government Efficiency under the incoming Trump administration and is sure to have plenty of suggestions for how the FAA might operate more efficiently.
The previous assessment was for up to five annual launches, ten Ship landings, and five Super Heavy landings. However, following the recent test flights, Musk’s rocketeers want to increase that cadence, which means updating the license and the EA.
The EA is a substantial document, running to 160 pages. Although the preference is to approve the increase in cadence – the FAA’s preferred action is to modify SpaceX’s operator license – it’s also worth noting that the EA remains a draft. The consultation period is now open and the FAA is planning to hold meetings on the document in January.
Contained in the draft are some interesting bits and pieces of information regarding SpaceX’s plan for its monster rocket in 2025. “Maturation of the vehicle has eliminated the need for suborbital test flights,” according to the document. The demonstration reignition of a Raptor engine on the sixth test flight will have certainly helped.
Additionally, the time needed for a Static Fire engine test has been cut to 90 seconds from 150 seconds for the Ship and to 70 seconds from 135 seconds for the Super Heavy booster. SpaceX will have gathered sufficient data during the Starship program to refine its plans for static engine firing.
The landings could be via the chopsticks on the launch tower, which is how SpaceX memorably caught a descending Super Heavy booster on Starship’s fifth test flight, or on a floating platform (which SpaceX has yet to try with either the Super Heavy booster or the Ship). Additionally, SpaceX has proposed increasing the remaining propellant on both the Ship and the Superheavy booster for a downrange landing.
The vehicles could also splash down into the ocean if necessary. Ending up in the ocean could mean expending the vehicle in an “explosive event.”
The document notes, “SpaceX anticipates no more than 20 explosive events at the surface of the water for each vehicle for the life of the program. These scenarios would occur within the first five years of the program.” ®
