FAA Tells SpaceX What It Needs To Do To Launch Starship
FAA Requires SpaceX to Take Over 75 Actions to Mitigate Environmental Impact of Planned Starship/Super Heavy Launches, FAA
“The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will require SpaceX to take more than 75 actions to mitigate environmental impacts from its proposed plan to launch the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle from Boca Chica, Texas. The actions are part of the agency’s environmental review. The environmental review must be completed along with public safety, national security, and other analyses before a decision on whether to grant a launch license can be made. The license application is still pending.”
Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment (Final PEA) and Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision (Mitigated FONSI/ROD) for the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Launch Vehicle Program at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas, FAA
“Provisions contained in CEQ’s NEPA?implementing regulations and in FAA Order 1050.1F, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures, require the preparation of a supplemental EA if the applicant makes substantial modifications in the proposed action that are relevant to environmental concerns or there are significant new circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns or bearing on the proposed action or its impacts (see, e.g., FAA Order 1050.1F, Paragraph 9?3). After independently reviewing SpaceX’s project modifications noted above, the FAA does not consider these modifications to be “substantial” in the context of presenting new or additional potential impacts beyond the scope already addressed in the draft PEA. Further, the removal of the proposed infrastructure reduces the Proposed Action’s anticipated environmental consequences.”
Obviously some modifications, but it was probably going to be a few months before they could do the full-up launch anyways. No EIS, huzzah!
Overall a good result!
Reasonable environmental limitations on SpaceX PEA:
-more shuttles to limit traffic in the rural area
-limitations on closing public beach
Unreasonable environmental limitations on SpaceX PEA:
-5,000 dollar yearly contribution to Save the Ocelot Foundation
-5,000 dollar yearly contribution to Peregrine Foundation
-required reports on Civil War and Mexican American War for
public education
-required pull offs on highways so tourists can look at
wildlife
-required cameras so tourists can look at wildlife
-required connections to Starlink so tourists can look at
wildlife
whish there was live cameras at KSC to view the wildlife .
You want to view the wildlife at the Cape? Just drive up to the gate, get out of the vehicle, and walk around the fence that projects a few yards on either side of the gate (if they haven’t extended it). You’ll find all sorts of wildlife…Eastern diamond backs, coral snakes, wildcats, allegators, etc.
Frankly, I think NASA is hoping SpaceX will be delayed until Artemis I actually launches!
Perhaps the solutions being implemented at Boca Chica will make their way back to the Cape. Some of these would be very nice to have there, as well.
What does the Civil War or Mexican War have to do with the environment?
The laws in question cover places of historical or cultural significance.
This is supposed to be a environmental impact statement.
So, what does the Civil War or Mexican War have to do with the environment?
While I agree with you, I figure Musk will just direct one of his young employees to write something up. After all, I don’t believe there were any requirements about the length of the reports or what they should cover other than the top level subjects.
It’s actually an assessment of whether or not a new Environmental Impact Statement is required. The assessment was that, with some mitigating actions, a new EIS is not needed.
In any case, the law in question uses a pretty broad definition of “environment”. Specifically, it covers anything “significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.” That includes the cultural environment (and therefore historical sites.) It also includes the economic environment, so there was some discussion of how SpaceX’ activities affected things like the local cost of living and housing prices. That may or may not make sense, but it’s how Congress wrote the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act.
Yes, I found the contributions to Save the Ocelot and Peregrine Foundations to be unreasonably low. SpaceX could easily contribute 10x these figures and make a substantial impact in offsetting the disruption of their operations at Boca Chica.
There were some odd things in there… but I imagine these were SpaceX proposals to address specific concerns/complaints of various state and federal agencies. As it says in the PEA:
“NOTE: The PEA for the Starship/Super Heavy Program was prepared by SpaceX under the supervision of the FAA.”
Plus, there is the $5,000 per year contribution to the Fishing Tackle Loaner program. Ridiculous.
The big picture? There is a new “space race” going on and it not between the USA and Russia, or China, — its between NASA and Space X, between US government agencies and a US corporation. It will not be won entirely by the entity who launches first — Artemis or Starship — but who provides the services and who — like the last race — lands first, be it the Moon or Mars.
My money is on Space X.
All in all, is it good to be living in these interesting times.
I think it’s clear what is going to happen. SpaceX has no plans to land on the Moon on their own; Mr. Musk is interested in Mars. NASA has contracted SpaceX to get Artemis III astronauts on the Moon, using a Starship variant as a lunar lander (SLS can only get Orion to a L1 halo orbit, so a separate lander is necessary.) I’m fairly sure that Artemis III will happen before a SpaceX human landing on Mars. So the first landing will be the NASA Artemis III landing using a lander provided and operated by SpaceX.
The $5000 per year to 2 wildlife conservation groups are as nothing to SpaceX and would help repair the damages one Roadside viewing areas are a good idea, as is the employee shuttle buses. Dunno hat to say re the history assignment. It seems a small set of demands to allow launches