Company Prepares for Drastic Increase From This Year’s 5 Launch Cap

Mega aerospace manufacturer SpaceX is aiming to increase its number of allowed launches from 5 to 25 next year. The company is currently leaping through legal hurdles to earn the updated permit.

SpaceX’s launch license, set in 2022, currently permits five annual launches from its Starbase test facility in Boca Chica, Texas. As of November 19, four had been used with one remaining.

The 25-launch allowance reflects the long-term ambitions of company CEO Elon Musk, who hopes to send hundreds of Starship missions to space before the end of the decade. Achieving this goal will become significantly easier under President-Elect Donald Trump, who has a strong relationship with Musk and his aspirations.

The launches would begin at the Starbase test facility as normal, then could progress to floating platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, or various other locations. To earn this right, however, SpaceX will need to obtain either a new or modified license from the FAA. Given the manufacturer’s long and uneasy history with the agency, this has proven to be a long process.

The FAA is reviewing the environmental impacts of increasing the launch frequency, specifically regarding wildlife harm, air emissions, water quality, and noise pollution near the site. SpaceX has already been fined over $150,000 for related violations in previous launches.

On November 20, the agency released a new draft of its SpaceX Starship environmental assessment. It did not include a formal statement expressing the FAA’s opinion on the potential increase in launch frequency, but seemed to find no significant issues with it.

SpaceX also has a new Starship lander for the NASA Artemis III mission in the works, which would send the first woman and person of color to the moon. This has already faced delays, funding issues, and technical difficulties and is slated for September 2026.

FMI: www.spacex.com