Public Hearing To Take Place October 6 and 7  

The FAA invites the public to provide its input on the draft environmental review for the proposed SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy program in Boca Chica, Texas. 

The Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment investigates the potential environmental impacts of SpaceX’s initial mission profile for the program, including launch and reentry. It also reviews debris recovery, the integration tower and other launch-related construction, and local road closures in Boca Chica, among other issues. 

A public hearing is planned virtually for October 6 and 7 as part of a 30-day public comment period that will conclude on October 18.

The SpaceX launch can not take place until the FAA finalizes its licensing, which includes the environmental review.  

The Starship/Super Heavy operations fall outside of the scope of the existing 2014 Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision for the Boca Chica launch site, thus requiring this additional environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act. 

If the Draft PEA is finalized, and SpaceX further develops the program, the FAA would analyze the environmental impacts of proposed future activities in part by using information developed during the current process.

Following the public comments and review, if the FAA determines the impacts of the project would be significant, then a more intensive EIS would be conducted.

Several federal and state agencies are involved in the Draft PEA as cooperating and participating agencies, including: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Park Service, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Historical Commission, Texas Government Land Office and Texas Department of Transportation.

FMI: https://www.spacex.com, https://www.faa.gov