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Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT).
Notice of Intent to prepare a SEIS and notice of public scoping period.
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), FAA Order 1050.1G, FAA National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures, and Department of War (DoW) and Department of the Air Force (DAF) NEPA Implementing Procedures, FAA is announcing its intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) concerning Space Exploration Technologies Corp.'s (SpaceX) proposal obtain a modification to their existing vehicle operator license from the FAA to authorize commercial Starship-Super Heavy operations at Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). This SEIS supports FAA's adoption of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (2025 DAF EIS), EIS Identification Number: EISX-007-057-USF-1730277197. The proposed operations would include up to 76 Starship-Super Heavy launches and up to 152 landings per year (up to 76 Super Heavy Booster and up to 76 Starship vehicle landings), including return-to-launch-site (RTLS) and ocean landings. FAA is requesting comments concerning the scope and content of the SEIS. A Draft SEIS will be released for public review and comment later.
FAA invites interested agencies, organizations, Native American Tribes, and members of the public to submit comments on alternatives or impacts and on relevant information, studies, or analyses with respect to the proposed agency action. The public scoping period starts with the publication of this Notice in the Federal Register . To ensure sufficient time to consider issues identified during the public scoping period, comments should be submitted by one of the methods listed under ADDRESSES no later than October 14, 2026. All comments will receive the same attention and consideration in the preparation of the SEIS.
Comments, statements, or questions concerning scoping issues must be identified with the Docket Number FAA-2026-10792 and may be provided to FAA as follows:
We encourage the submission of comments electronically through the Federal E-Rulemaking Portal. If comments are submitted electronically, it is not necessary to also submit a hard copy. All comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov.
In 2025, the Department of the Air Force (DAF) completed the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (2025 DAF EIS) addressing the potential environmental impacts associated with the redevelopment of SLC-37 and Starship-Super Heavy launch and landing operations at CCSFS. The 2025 DAF EIS analyzed up to 76 Starship-Super Heavy launches and 152 landings per year (76 Super Heavy and 76 Starship landings). The 2025 DAF EIS concluded that implementation of the Proposed Action, with mitigation and adaptive management measures, would not result in significant environmental impacts except for noise. The DAF issued a Record of Decision (ROD) authorizing SpaceX to undertake certain construction activities for Starship-Super Heavy operations, to conduct prelaunch operations, as well as conduct up to 76 launches and 152 landings annually, pending supplementation of the Proposed Action with the temporary airspace closures and associated additional analysis by the FAA to support a follow-on decision from the DAF. FAA participated as a cooperating agency in the 2025 DAF EIS but did not issue a ROD, because SpaceX had not submitted a modification to their existing vehicle operator license from the FAA to authorize Starship-Super Heavy operations at SLC-37 at that time.
Following DAF's issuance of its ROD, SpaceX began developing infrastructure at SLC-37 to support future Starship-Super Heavy operations. SpaceX must obtain modification to their existing vehicle operator license from FAA before conducting commercial Starship-Super Heavy launch and landing operations associated with SLC-37.
The 2025 DAF EIS did not analyze temporary airspace closures, DOT Section 4(f) resources, or the proposed contingency landing area. The proposed contingency landing area is located in the Atlantic Ocean beginning 1 nautical mile (2 kilometers) or more from the coast and extending up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of KSC LC-39A and up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of CCSFS SLC-37, which is the same area that was previously analyzed in the FAA 2026 Environmental Impact Statement for the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Launch Vehicle at Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy ( printed page 61552) Space Center (KSC), Merritt Island, Florida (FAA 2026 EIS). In addition, certain aspects of Starship RTLS operations, including a range of potential RTLS trajectories, were not previously analyzed. Accordingly, FAA is preparing this SEIS to supplement the 2025 DAF EIS by evaluating these and other environmental effects associated with FAA's proposed licensing action and incorporating by reference relevant existing environmental analyses, as appropriate.
FAA's Federal Action is to issue a modification to the existing vehicle operator license to authorize SpaceX to conduct Starship-Super Heavy operations associated with SLC-37 and issue, as appropriate, subsequent license modifications and renewals under 14 CFR part 400. FAA's Federal Action also includes FAA's issuance of temporary airspace closures.
SpaceX's Proposed Action would include up to 76 Starship-Super Heavy launches and up to 152 landings per year, (up to 76 Super Heavy Booster and up to 76 Starship vehicle landings), including RTLS associated with SLC-37. The Proposed Action also includes ocean landings of Super Heavy in the Atlantic Ocean and Starship landings in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and the Gulf of America.
FAA Order 1050.1G defines reasonable alternatives as those that are technically and economically feasible, meet the purpose and need for the Proposed Action, and, where applicable, meet the goals of the applicant. The 2025 DAF EIS established SLC-37 as an approved location for Starship-Super Heavy operations, and infrastructure to support those operations is already being developed. As such, no alternative launch sites meet the purpose and need for the Proposed Action. The SEIS will therefore evaluate the Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative.
Under the No Action Alternative, FAA would not issue a modification to the existing vehicle operator license to authorize SpaceX to conduct commercial Starship-Super Heavy operations associated with SLC-37 and would not issue associated temporary airspace closures.
More information on the SEIS can be found at: https://www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/spacex_starship_ccsfs.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask FAA in your comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying information, FAA cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. All comments received during the comment period will be given equal weight and be taken into consideration in the preparation of the SEIS.
Katie L. Cranor,
Executive Director, Office of Operational Safety.
[FR Doc. 2026-19897 Filed 9-28-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
Comments on this document are being accepted at Regulations.gov. Submit a public comment