Notice2026-19897
Office of Commercial Space Transportation; Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) and Open a Public Scoping Period for the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Operations at Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Primary source
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Published
September 29, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 187 (Tuesday, September 29, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 187 (Tuesday, September 29, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61551-61552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19897]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
[FAA-2026-10792]
Office of Commercial Space Transportation; Notice of Intent To
Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) and Open a
Public Scoping Period for the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Operations at
Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Cape
Canaveral, Florida
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a SEIS and notice of public scoping
period.
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SUMMARY: 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.
DATES: 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.
ADDRESSES: 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:
<bullet> Federal E-Rulemaking Portal: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. Retrieve
the docket by conducting a search for ``[FAA-2026-10792] and follow the
online instructions for submitting comments. Please note that FAA will
post all comments on the internet without changes, including any
personal information provided.
<bullet> By U.S. mail to: Ms. Eva Long, FAA Environmental
Protection Specialist, c/o ICF, 1902 Reston Metro Plaza, Reston, VA
20190.
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 <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
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
[[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.
Proposed Action
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.
Alternatives
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: <a href="https://www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/spacex_starship_ccsfs">https://www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/spacex_starship_ccsfs</a>.
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
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