Draft Tiered Environmental Assessment for Updates to Airspace Closures for Additional Launch Trajectories and Starship Boca Chica Landings of the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Vehicle at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas September 2025
SpaceX has proposed new launch trajectories for Starship Superheavy flights launching from Boca Chica, Texas. One new corridor is on a path taking it west of Cuba and northeast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The other will be far more controversial: directly over the Florida peninsula.
The Document
You can view or download the document below:
Air Operations
Rocket launches are, of course, high-risk operations. If a rocket fails in flight, debris can fall to the ground in an uncontrolled manner, potentially damaging property and causing injuries.
Starship Flight 7 after it broke apart at near-orbital velocities.
SpaceX has thus far done a spectacular job in terms of public safety, but at the same time, the chances of a vehicle failure at the wrong time are never nil.
Another effect is an interruption to air operations:
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Integrating the Florida overflight Starship-Super Heavy launch operations and Super Heavy booster landings into the NAS from Boca Chica would require the FAA to conduct ground stops commensurate with the timing of the AHA and the miles in trail (distance between aircraft) for spacing and volume control as well as rerouting aircraft around the AHA. Due to the length of the launch and Super Heavy booster landing AHAs, certain flights, especially international, may elect to delay the departure time due to the inability to accept a reroute caused by fuel constraints or the flight time of the reroute.
According to the NAS assessment, the average expected flight delay for launches would last approximately 40 minutes and could last up to two hours. General aviation operations would be similarly impacted by the launch and Super Heavy booster landing AHAs; however, general aviation operations typically have more flexibility for flight planning than commercial flights, due to the nature of connecting commercial flights.
The FAA
In many travel scenarios, making connections at a hub destination like Atlanta, Charlotte and other is already challenging and may be all but impossible when there are unpredictable delays in Orlando, Tampa, Miami and other major airports.
No remediations were proposed, despite the costs of ground interruptions and flights being rerouted would create for airlines and ultimately, the fare-paying public who would ultimately bear the additional costs, not to mention the inconvenience of the time delays.
The FAA’s Conclusion?
The 2022 PEA and April 2025 Tiered EA examined the potential for significant environmental impacts from Starship-Super Heavy launch operations at the Boca Chica Launch Site and defined the regulatory setting for impacts associated with Starship-Super Heavy. The areas evaluated for environmental impacts in this Tiered EA include aviation emissions and air quality; noise and noise-compatible land use; hazardous materials; and socioeconomics. In each of these areas, the FAA has concluded that no significant impacts would occur as a result of the Proposed Action.
The FAA
The FAA will hold a virtual public meeting on the Draft Tiered EA on October 7, 2025 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm ET. You must register to attend, and you will need Zoom as well:
During the virtual public meeting, the FAA will provide a pre-recorded presentation during the first half hour of the public meeting. The public can provide oral comments for up to three minutes during the virtual public meeting.