SpaceX seeks approval for up to 456 Starship launches yearly at Starbase

SpaceX has proposed increasing its uncrewed Starship operations to up to 456 launches and 912 landings annually at its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, SatNews and SpaceQ Canada reported. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a Notice of Intent on October 12, 2026, to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement regarding the request. According to SpaceQ Canada, the notice was filed on Tuesday and published in the Federal Register on Wednesday. [1][2]

The proposed framework would permit SpaceX to conduct more than one orbital Starship launch per day on average, SatNews reported. SpaceQ Canada noted that the requested limit of 456 launches per year represents an 18-fold increase over the current limit. The agency previously approved 25 annual launches at the South Texas facility, according to SatNews. [1][2]

The publication of the federal notice marks the formal start of an environmental scoping process, SatNews reported. SpaceQ Canada added that the agency is preparing a programmatic environmental impact statement to conduct a comprehensive review of the entire program. According to SatNews, SpaceX plans to implement a two-phase operational progression to support the expanded launch schedule. [1][2]