Tiered Environmental Assessment for Updates to Airspace Closures for the Flight 9 Mission Profile of the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Vehicle at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site

Notice of Availability, Notice of Public Comment Period, Notice of Virtual Public Meeting, and Request for Comment on the Draft Tiered Environmental Assessment for Updates to Airspace Closures for Additional Launch Trajectories and Starship Boca Chica Landings of the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Vehicle at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas

The FAA has released a Draft Tiered Environmental Assessment (EA) under NEPA analyzing updates to airspace closures at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas. The EA covers two operational updates: additional launch trajectories for the Starship-Super Heavy vehicle and Starship Return to Launch Site mission profiles. The FAA evaluates potential environmental impacts from temporary airspace closures associated with these operations. A virtual public meeting is scheduled for October 7, 2025, and the comment period closes October 20, 2025.

Notice of Availability of the Tiered Environmental Assessment for Updates to Airspace Closures for the Flight 9 Mission Profile of the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Vehicle at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas

The FAA issued a Tiered Environmental Assessment and FONSI/ROD for the Flight 9 mission profile of the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy vehicle at the Boca Chica vertical launch area in Cameron County, Texas. The action tiers from the 2022 Final Programmatic EA and an April 2025 Tiered EA. It evaluates updates to the Aircraft Hazard Area and Notice to Airmen required for Flight 9, which will necessitate closure of more than 70 airways over the Gulf of America and temporary airspace closures over a portion of the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands. The FAA found no significant impact.