After several months of discussions, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States published, on June 13, a report about SpaceX. This one looks at the impact of the Boca Chica, Texas launch site on the environment around it. According to the document, Elon Musk’s company will be able to continue to develop its private base and take off various aircraft, provided it follows a few guidelines.
FAA approves SpaceX expansion plan
75. That’s the number of changes SpaceX will have to make if it wants to expand its launch site in Boca Chica, South Texas. These requests come from the report posted online by the FAA on June 13. The study, initially scheduled for December 2021, revealed that it was not necessary for the Californian company to prepare an environmental impact statement. It is a type of document aimed at determining the effects of a company’s activities on the surrounding ecosystem. It may take several years before it is analyzed and validated.
In the case of launchers, the FAA has indicated (PDF) than Starship rockets” will not significantly affect the quality of the environment “. The infrastructures of Boca Chica should not encroach on the biological activities of the area.
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Satellite view of SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas launch site. Image: Google Earth.
However, the American agency asks the company led by Elon Musk to take measures to mitigate the effects of the base on the environment. Each of them will have to be completed before we can proceed with the expansion of the site and the launches of the next rockets.
While waiting to begin meeting FAA expectations, SpaceX congratulated itself on Twitter for having done ” one step closer to the Starship’s first orbital flight “.
One step closer to the first orbital flight test of Starship https://t.co/MEcQ6gST6Q pic.twitter.com/jxqEsM62gc
—SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 13, 2022
Measures that respect the environment and people
From measurements required (PDF), several are aimed at respecting the lives of residents living not far from the launch site. SpaceX will have to improve its system alerting the population of the takeoff of a device by giving real-time information on the progress of these activities by SMS. The company will not be able to close roads around the Boca Chica base on holidays. In addition, these roadblocks cannot exceed 500 closing hours, with an additional 300 hours authorized in the event of an emergency.
Regarding the effects on the fauna and flora that border the site, SpaceX will have to pay attention to the artificial lighting emanating from the launch area. Located near a beach, the lights could interfere with the reproduction of sea turtles that go there to lay their eggs.
However, the FAA is not the only institution involved in the Boca Chica environmental study. Elon Musk plans to build on 17 acres of sensitive land, including wetlands. To do this, the Army Corps of Engineers, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, whose mission is to reduce the risk of disasters, must still approve the project.