SpaceX has received a major boost as regulators in the United States have completed an environmental review that clears the path for the company to more than double its annual Falcon 9 launches from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The approval will allow an increase from 50 launches each year to as many as 120. Alongside this, a new on site landing zone has been approved, which could host up to 34 landings of reusable Falcon 9 boosters annually. These boosters form the first stage of the rocket and are refurbished for repeated flights.
The review, finalised on Wednesday, issued what is called a Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact. It concluded that the expansion “would not significantly impact the quality of the human environment” under federal law, as long as certain protective steps are followed. These include securing additional environmental permits before building new facilities, installing sea turtle friendly lighting, and conducting surveys to protect wildlife such as the Florida scrub jay and eastern indigo snake.
Concerns about water management were also addressed, with the review finding it highly unlikely that wastewater from the deluge system would flow into nearby waters. The system releases huge amounts of water onto the launch pad to absorb heat and sound during liftoff. At other sites, such as SpaceX’s Starbase in Texas, this issue has led to legal challenges from environmental groups.
Although this approval is a key milestone, SpaceX still requires the Federal Aviation Administration to modify its launch licence and the Department of the Air Force must also agree since the facilities are located on Space Force property.
The decision supports SpaceX’s ongoing effort to expand its launch capacity. Falcon 9 flights have already grown sharply from 60 in 2022 to 132 in 2024. With a busy schedule of commercial customers, government contracts and Starlink deployments, the additional capacity is expected to ease pressure and improve turnaround times by reducing reliance on offshore drone ship landings.
The company is also pursuing similar expansions elsewhere. On the West Coast, it is seeking approval to launch up to 100 Falcon rockets a year from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Regulators are also reviewing proposals to allow more launches of Starship, the much larger rocket being developed for missions to the Moon and Mars.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter |The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Whatsapp Channel | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Instagram
About us:
The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News is a premier platform dedicated to delivering latest news, updates, and insights from the tech industry. With its strong foundation of intellectual property and thought leadership, the platform is well-positioned to stay ahead of the curve and lead conversations about how technology shapes our world. From its early days as CIO News to its rebranding as The Mainstream on November 28, 2024, it has been expanding its global reach, targeting key markets in the Middle East & Africa, ASEAN, the USA, and the UK. The Mainstream is a vision to put technology at the center of every conversation, inspiring professionals and organizations to embrace the future of tech.
