SpaceX Pitches High-Frequency Starship Operations at Kennedy Space Center

The company proposes installing infrastructure that would support as many as 44 Starship launches annually but will first need to pass an environmental assessment.

Jack Daleo

Friday, May 10, 2024 at 01:20 PM ET

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SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, which has launched from Kennedy Space Center since 2018, lifts off from Launch Pad 39A on its maiden voyage on February 6, 2018. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX has proposed to operate its Starship rocket from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, requiring new infrastructure to support up to 44 launches annually.
The FAA and NASA will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess the potential environmental impacts of the proposal, a mandatory step for SpaceX to obtain a commercial launch license.
Public comments on the proposal's environmental effects are being collected through an open submission period and upcoming public scoping meetings.
The EIS process is critical due to significant environmental damage, including widespread debris, caused by Starship's first test flight from SpaceX's Texas facility.

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The FAA on Friday revealed a proposal by SpaceX to operate Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, out of Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The agency says it plans to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the potential effects of awarding a commercial launch vehicle operator license for Starship operations at Kennedy’s Launch Complex-39A. To date, all Starship test flights have launched from SpaceX’s Starbase launchpad in Boca Chica, Texas, which serves as its primary research, development, and flight test facility for the gargantuan rocket.