The Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice on Tuesday that it would conduct an environmental impact statement, assessing the potential effects of approving hundreds of more launches annually at SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas, site.
The study would evaluate the impact of up to 456 annual launches and 912 annual landings at the company’s Texas site for its Starship/Super Heavy rockets. SpaceX also wants to launch Starship rockets at its planned Vermilion Parish spaceport in Pecan Island — at an even higher clip of potentially thousands of launches per year.
A draft environmental review might shed some light on what living next to one of these facilities could look like — or sound like.
SpaceX representatives met with Pecan Island residents in late September to explain what life could be like in the small community once launches begin, with one employee comparing launch impacts to slamming a door in a house and a gunshot upon return.
Currently, the Texas site is allowed up to 25 annual launches and 50 annual landings. Since September, the company has conducted 14 Starship test launches at the facility.
The launches would be ramped up in phases, with Phase One including up to 100 annual launches and Phase Two including up to a maximum of 456 launches. Launches would occur during the day, which the FAA considers anytime between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., Monday through Friday.
As part of standard procedure, the FAA will hold several in-person meetings and one virtual meeting. The virtual meeting is scheduled for Nov. 18 at 5:30 p.m.
Comments and questions can be submitted on the Federal E-Rulemaking Portal under the docket number FAA-2026-12808.
A draft environmental report will be available for public review and comment at a later date.
