The Federal Aviation Administration has pushed the release date of its final Programmatic Environmental Assessment of SpaceX’s Starship development program at Boca Chica/Starbase.
The new date is May 31. The original deadline was Dec. 31, 2021, though the FAA has pushed back the date multiple times since. Depending on the outcome of the final PEA, SpaceX may or may not be granted permission by the FAA for the first orbital launch of its Starship/Super Heavy prototype, which the company has been planning to launch from Boca Chica.
“The FAA is working toward issuing the final (PEA) for the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy on May 31, 2022,” the agency said in a statement Friday morning. SpaceX made multiple changes to its application that require additional FAA analysis. The agency continues to review around 18,000 general public comments.
“The completion of the PEA will not guarantee that the FAA will issue a launch license. SpaceX’s application must also meet FAA safety, risk and financial responsibility requirements.”
