FAA Greenlights New SpaceX Starship Trajectories Over U.S. Mainland

Agency’s analysis estimates that proposed trajectories could impact thousands of American flights per year.

Jack Daleo

Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

With FAA approval, SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket could fly over populated areas in Florida, California, Texas, and other U.S. states. [Credit: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX is nearing FAA approval for expanded Starship launch and return trajectories over the U.S. mainland, with the FAA issuing a "finding of no significant impact" on the proposal.
These new trajectories will require extensive Aircraft Hazard Areas, potentially disrupting thousands of commercial flights annually and necessitating international coordination, despite the FAA's conclusion of no significant environmental impacts.
Aviation stakeholders, including the Air Line Pilots Association, express significant safety concerns regarding inadequate debris tracking, the vagueness of impact analyses, and the FAA's perceived conflict of interest amidst the rapidly increasing pace of commercial spaceflight operations.

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SpaceX this week moved one step closer to securing a launch license modification that would allow it to fly its gargantuan Starship rocket over portions of the mainland U.S., including Florida, Texas, and California.

The company will still need to obtain that modification from the FAA. But the regulator on Friday issued a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for SpaceX’s proposal to add new Starship launch trajectories to its Starbase pad in Texas.