SpaceX will have to wait longer to see if it can launch StarshipFlights depart from its Boca Chica facility, Texas. The US Federal Aviation Administration delayedIts decision regarding the environmental review of launch site Yet againSpaceX has pushed back its completion date to April 29th. SpaceX must obtain approval from the FAA and a vehicle operator license before it can launch Starship missions from Boca Chica.
The agency is specifically investigating whether the launch of the huge reusable vehicle from the facility will have a significant impact on the environment and pose a threat to public safety. It was originally scheduled to be completed by December 21, 2021. However, the agency pushed it back to February 28th 2022 and then to March 28th 2022. The official pageThe FAA announced that it would be revising its target date for the environment assessment to April 29th in order to “account for further comment review, ongoing interagency consultations, and further comment review.” The FAA received 19,000 feedback on the draft version of its review published last year.
Elon Musk, SpaceX chief, has recently revealed that Starship will be launched into orbit by the company for the purposes of the May, first time. If the FAA completes its review on time and provides a favorable outcome for the company then there is a possibility that the launch could occur in a few months. It’s important to note that Musk’s timeline might be too optimistic.
SpaceX could move to its backup plan in the event that the Boca Chica location fails to pass the FAA’s environmental review. Musk stated that SpaceX has already been approved to launch the Starship from Cape Canaveral, Florida during a Starship presentation earlier in the year. This would delay the vehicle’s first flight by six to 8 months due to the construction of a launch tower at that site. But, at least it wouldn’t be a long wait.
