Topline
Elon Musk’s SpaceX can launch its Starship rocket up to 25 times each year from its Boca Chica facility near Brownsville, Texas, after an environmental assessment from the Federal Aviation Administration. It could mean a rapid uptick in Starship testing as preparation continues for a NASA mission to the moon and a possible private mission to Mars.
Horseback riders pass Elon Musk’s SpaceX’s Starship, the world’s biggest and most powerful rocket, … More
Key Facts
At 403 feet (123 meters) tall at launch, SpaceX’s Starship is one of the most enormous rockets ever made. It has two stages, with the Starship spacecraft atop the Super Heavy booster rocket. SpaceX states that it’s the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed.
In addition to allowing up to 25 Starship launches per annum, the FAA’s report also permits up to 25 landings at the site. The super heavy-lift launch vehicle is ultimately designed to be fully reusable. Super Heavy can return to the launch pad; it was caught in “chopsticks” for the first time during its fifth test flight on October 13, 2024. Starship is also designed to land, though that has not been tested yet.
In its report, the FAA stated that: “modifying SpaceX’s vehicle operator license supporting the increased launch and landing cadence of the Starship/Super Heavy launch vehicle would not significantly impact the quality of the human environment.”
Built for missions to Mars but also due to be used by NASA for its Artemis III mission to land two astronauts on the moon, Starship will be able to carry 100 tons to Mars or up to 100 people on long-duration, interplanetary flights, according to SpaceX. It could also be used for point-to-point flights, with most international trips taking 30 minutes or less.
Spacex Starship Tests So Far
Starship was formerly allowed to launch only five times each year. It’s been tested eight times (two flights in 2023, four in 2024 and two in 2025). Both flights in 2025 — which used a new Block 2 design for Starship — have ended in “rapid unscheduled disassembly.” On January 17, Starship and Super separated shortly after lift-off, with the former seen breaking up from Haiti and the latter returning to the launch pad. On March 7, debris from a SpaceX Starship launch was seen from Florida to the Caribbean.
Welcome To Starbase City
The FAA’s decision, which is expected to allow SpaceX to conduct many more Starship launches, comes as its facility in Texas is expected to get city status in the wake of a vote. As reported by NBC, the city — called Starbase — will shortly come into being following a vote on Saturday, May 6, which saw 212 in favor of incorporation and six against. Most of the voters were SpaceX employees and people connected to the company. Close to the border with Mexico, Starbase is home to SpaceX headquarters, a manufacturing and launch facility.
Background
In 2024, 263 rockets were launched, more than ever before, for the fourth consecutive year. SpaceX dominated the industry, with 132 on its Falcon 9, a partly reusable rocket. On May 6, SpaceX launched 28 new satellites to join its Starlink broadband internet constellation, which now totals 7,376 satellites. The launch occurred on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. In February, debris from a Falcon 9 launch caused a fireball to be seen from Europe, with debris landing in Poland.
