What is the FAA studying at Starbase?

The FAA is preparing a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) on a SpaceX proposal. The proposal raises the Starship cap at the Boca Chica launch site from 25 launches a year to as many as 456. It also adds more places where Starship can land or end its flight.

Did the FAA approve 456 launches a year?

No. The FAA has not made a decision. The 456 figure is the most the study will look at. Today SpaceX can launch up to 25 times a year from Starbase. The FAA will publish a Draft PEIS later, with a second chance to comment.

Do I have to go to a meeting to comment?

No. You can comment online at regulations.gov under docket FAA-2026-12808, or by mail. A comment sent online counts the same as a comment made at a meeting.

Is there help in Spanish?

Yes. The online meeting on November 18 has English-Spanish translation for spoken comments. The FAA will post the presentation in English and Spanish by November 10. For other help, email the project team by November 2.

When is the last day to comment?

The FAA asks for comments by November 30, 2026.

Will my comment be public?

Yes. The FAA posts every comment on regulations.gov as written. That includes any name, address, or other personal details you put in it.

What happens after the comment period?

The FAA uses the comments to decide what the study covers. Then it writes a Draft PEIS and opens it for public review and comment. The notice gives no date for the draft.

FAA · Docket FAA-2026-12808

The FAA Is Studying Up to 456 Starbase Launches a Year

The FAA is starting an environmental study of a SpaceX plan to launch Starship up to 456 times a year from Starbase. Today the limit is 25. The FAA holds public meetings on November 17, 18, and 19, and takes comments until November 30, 2026. No decision has been made.

Comments are open until November 30, 2026.

How to comment Meeting times

TodayLaunches a year allowed today: 25
Phase 1Phase 1 launches a year: 100
Phase 2Phase 2 launches a year: 456
Comments dueLast day to comment: Nov 30

What the Study Covers

The FAA calls it a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). This first step is "scoping": the FAA asks the public what the study should look at.

Launches a yearLandings a yearWhen

Allowed today

Launches a yearup to 25

Landings a yearup to 50

Set by the 2025 environmental review

Phase 1

Launches a yearup to 100

Landings a yearup to 200

Any day, any time

Phase 2

Launches a yearup to 456

Landings a yearup to 912

Monday to Friday, any time of day. "Within several years."

For the study, the FAA assumes half of all launches and landings happen at night (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.). The 456 and 912 figures are the most the study will look at, not a schedule.

Where the vehicles come down

Super Heavy, the booster: back at the launch site, a soft landing in the Gulf, or expended during flight.
Starship, the upper stage: back at the launch site, a soft landing in the Gulf or the open ocean, or expended in the open ocean.

What the FAA will look at

Air quality and emissions
Wildlife, fish, and plants
The coast
Noise
Historic and cultural sites
Land use and public parks
Water and wetlands
Local economy and children's health and safety
Hazardous materials and waste
Views and visual effects
Farmland
Natural resources and energy

The only alternative

The FAA studies one alternative: "No Action". Under it, the FAA does not change the SpaceX license, and the limit stays at 25 launches a year. The FAA says other sites are not reasonable alternatives, because Starbase already has the launch infrastructure.

At the same time

The FAA also consults on historic sites (National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106), and with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service on protected species.

The Public Meetings

Four meetings in person and one online. All times are Central. You do not have to attend to comment.

Tuesday, November 17
1:00–3:00 p.m. CT
In person
Texas Southmost College, Jacob Brown Auditorium
600 International Blvd., Brownsville, TX 78520
Add to calendarGoogle Apple / Outlook Directions
Tuesday, November 17
5:30–7:30 p.m. CT
In person
Texas Southmost College, Jacob Brown Auditorium
600 International Blvd., Brownsville, TX 78520
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Wednesday, November 18
5:30–7:30 p.m. CT
Online
Online, on Zoom. You must register first.
Register
Add to calendarGoogle Apple / Outlook
Thursday, November 19
1:00–3:00 p.m. CT
In person
Port Isabel Event & Cultural Center
309 Railroad St, Port Isabel, TX 78578
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Thursday, November 19
5:30–7:30 p.m. CT
In person
Port Isabel Event & Cultural Center
309 Railroad St, Port Isabel, TX 78578
Add to calendarGoogle Apple / Outlook Directions

What happens at a meeting

In person: the FAA gives a presentation in the first half hour. Then the meeting becomes an open house, with FAA staff at information stations. You can speak your comment to a court reporter or fill in a written comment form.

Online: register first. The FAA gives a presentation with closed captions in the first half hour. Then a moderator takes spoken comments, up to three minutes each. English-Spanish translation is provided for spoken comments. Comments typed in the chat are not part of the public record.

The FAA will post the presentation in English and Spanish by November 10, 2026.

If the FAA moves a meeting, for weather or any other reason, it posts the change on its FAA project website.

Need other help, such as an interpreter for another language or a disability accommodation? Email the project team by November 2, 2026: spacexbocachica@icf.com

How to Comment

The FAA asks for comments on alternatives and impacts, and on relevant information, studies, or analyses. Pick one way. Each counts the same.

Send your comment by November 30, 2026.

Online

At regulations.gov, under docket FAA-2026-12808. The FAA prefers this way. If you comment online, you do not also need to mail a copy.

Comment at regulations.gov

By mail

To this address:

Ms. Amy Hanson, FAA Environmental Protection SpecialistSpaceX Boca Chica, c/o Kimley-Horn767 Eustis Street, Suite 100St. Paul, MN 55114

At a meeting

Speak to the court reporter or fill in a comment form at an in-person meeting, or speak during the online meeting.

Meeting times

Every comment is public. The FAA posts each one on regulations.gov as written, with any name, address, or other personal details in it.

Questions People Ask

Short answers. Each one comes from the FAA notice.

What is the FAA studying at Starbase?: The FAA is preparing a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) on a SpaceX proposal. The proposal raises the Starship cap at the Boca Chica launch site from 25 launches a year to as many as 456. It also adds more places where Starship can land or end its flight.
Did the FAA approve 456 launches a year?: No. The FAA has not made a decision. The 456 figure is the most the study will look at. Today SpaceX can launch up to 25 times a year from Starbase. The FAA will publish a Draft PEIS later, with a second chance to comment.
Do I have to go to a meeting to comment?: No. You can comment online at regulations.gov under docket FAA-2026-12808, or by mail. A comment sent online counts the same as a comment made at a meeting.
Is there help in Spanish?: Yes. The online meeting on November 18 has English-Spanish translation for spoken comments. The FAA will post the presentation in English and Spanish by November 10. For other help, email the project team by November 2.
When is the last day to comment?: The FAA asks for comments by November 30, 2026.
Will my comment be public?: Yes. The FAA posts every comment on regulations.gov as written. That includes any name, address, or other personal details you put in it.
What happens after the comment period?: The FAA uses the comments to decide what the study covers. Then it writes a Draft PEIS and opens it for public review and comment. The notice gives no date for the draft.

Sources

Everything on this page comes from these. We are not affiliated with the FAA or SpaceX, and we take no side on the proposal.

Last reviewed October 26, 2026