SpaceX will get FAA approval to jack up Cape Canaveral’s Falcon 9 launches from 50 to 120

The Federal Aviation Administration declared Wednesday {that a} plan for SpaceX to broaden its Falcon 9 launch and touchdown capability at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station doesn’t require an Environmental Impact Statement.

In March, the FAA posted a draft environmental evaluation for SpaceX’s plans to extend launches from Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 from its present restrict of fifty per yr to as many as 120, whereas additionally constructing out a brand new touchdown pad that would deal with as much as 34 returns of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters yearly.

The FAA introduced that the proposed enhance in launch cadence and new touchdown website development had been acceptable below necessities set forth by the National Environmental Policy Act, modifying an present “Finding of No Significant Impact,” often called a FONSI. Had a extra stringent Environmental Impact Statement been required, that would have added doubtlessly one other two years earlier than shifting ahead with any development or operational modifications.

The same environmental evaluation continues to be pending for SpaceX’s operations at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A for its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches, the place SpaceX additionally needs to construct a brand new touchdown pad. That plan requires a rise from 20 to 36 launches per yr and as much as 20 booster landings.

Its earlier land-based booster recoveries have been at Canaveral’s Landing Zones 1 and a couple of positioned inside Launch Complex 13, however SpaceX has already needed to stop use of LZ-1 as its lease has run out, and has of late needed to depend on LZ-2.

The Space Force needs to shift all launch and touchdown operations so business firms stick with utilizing the identical launch advanced on the way in which up as they do the way in which again down. And the LC-13 website has been put aside as the longer term launch website for 2 different business launch suppliers—Phantom Space and Vaya Space—though neither have but to get a rocket into house.

For Canaveral, SpaceX proposed to construct out a 400-foot diameter pad and gravel apron, a brand new nitrogen fuel line, a 30-foot pedestal for post-landing processing and an space for crane storage, including about 10 acres of growth to the positioning.

Combined, the KSC and Canaveral pads may imply as much as 56 booster landings per yr, which brings with it the elevated frequency for sonic growth warnings for Central Florida. Technically, SpaceX had already been permitted for that variety of landings from LZ-1 and LZ-2, however its use by no means approached that restrict. SpaceX had 12 booster landings at Canaveral in 2024 and solely six in 2023.

So far, it has introduced boosters again to LZ-1 or 2 eight occasions in 2025.

SpaceX will nonetheless proceed to carry out most of its booster recoveries on droneships within the Atlantic.

The two SpaceX requests are separate from two different extra rigorous Environmental Impact Statements underway by the FAA and the Air Force for potential launch and touchdown operations for its large SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy rocket, which for now solely launches from Texas.

SpaceX’s Starship plans on the Space Coast are for a launch tower at KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A adjoining its Falcon 9 launch pad and at Canaveral’s Launch Complex 37, the place United Launch Alliance had till final yr flown its Delta IV household of rockets.

As with all the critiques, the FAA will nonetheless solely challenge licenses if different components together with security, threat and monetary accountability are met.

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