The United States Air Force Ministry (DAF) has published the final environmental impact report regarding SpaceX’s plans to initiate the launch and landing operations of the Starship spacecraft at Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) at the U.S. Space Force base at Cape Canaveral. This document effectively grants the project the green light, paving the way to transform the site into a full-fledged spaceport for interplanetary missions.
According to this report, SpaceX will be able to conduct up to 76 Starship launches a year from this site. The Super Heavy booster will return to Earth a few minutes after launch, and the Starship itself will land on the same site after completing its mission. Super Heavy booster can reach low Earth orbit and land with the help of robotic “chopsticks” of the launch tower approximately seven minutes after launch. Starship can perform missions of various scales – from short-term orbital tests and lunar landings to multiyear interplanetary flights, including cargo deliveries to Mars. Upon completing the mission, the ship should accurately return to the original SLC-37 site, even if its work lasted months or years.
Despite the project’s environmental approval, experts have highlighted two factors requiring constant monitoring. First, the sonic boom during the landing of Super Heavy and Starship will cause “significant inconveniences” to nearby areas, especially at night. Second, emissions of nitrogen oxides during launch will exceed federal thresholds, hence a dynamic emissions management plan with a real-time monitoring system has been developed.
Impact on transport, flora and fauna, wetlands, and historical sites are deemed controllable within existing regulations. It is expected that the U.S. Air Force will release a final decision on the project in the coming weeks, after which it will be endorsed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Following this, the transformation of the site into a complex with two launch towers, fully oriented towards Starship, will begin. Recent announcements state that the FAA has not yet granted the final approval, creating anticipation within the industry and public communities awaiting the subsequent steps.
