SpaceX has cleared another major hurdle to send Starship into space. The US Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday it has completed an environmental assessment of the company’s plan to send the next-generation vehicle into orbit for the first time. After months of review, thousands of public comments submitted, and multiple delays, the FAA announced that the assessment resulted in a “mitigated” finding, also known as FONSI, with no significant impact.
But still, Elon Musk has a huge “to do” list in front of him. The company is required to take more than 75 actions to reduce the environmental impact of Starship and Super Heavy rocket launches from SpaceX’s Starbase development facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
In short, the federal government will not need a longer and more detailed environmental review for Starship. As SpaceX makes the few dozen desired changes to its original plan, a temporary green light has been given for the regulatory path to launch.
Required changes include earlier notification of planned launches to reduce closures affecting highway, beach and state park access.
Requirements SpaceX must complete include “continuous monitoring of vegetation and wildlife by a certified biologist; coordination with state or federal agencies to remove launch debris from sensitive habitats; launch to minimize impact on wildlife and nearby beach.” “adjusting the lighting in the complex”.
The company commented on this statement in a short tweet: “One step closer to Starship’s first orbital flight test.”
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