FAA Moves Starbase Expansion Meetings Online, Extends Comment Deadline

Image: SpaceX

The FAA has moved all five public meetings on SpaceX’s proposed Starbase expansion online and extended the comment deadline to December 7, giving the public another week to weigh in on plans for hundreds of Starship flights a year.

The change updates the environmental review opened in October, which examines a proposal for up to 456 annual launches and 912 landings at the Boca Chica site in Texas. Meetings previously planned in person for November 17 and 19 will now be virtual, alongside the November 18 session.

Here is the new schedule, with all times in Central Time:

• November 17: 1–3 p.m. and 5:30–7:30 p.m.
• November 18: 5:30–7:30 p.m.
• November 19: 1–3 p.m. and 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Registration is required. Each meeting will cover the same material, starting with a 30-minute FAA presentation before attendees can deliver oral comments lasting up to three minutes. The agency plans Spanish translation services, too.

The bigger picture is unchanged: SpaceX is seeking a major increase in Starship operations, but this announcement does not approve it. The programmatic environmental impact statement is still in its scoping stage, when the FAA gathers input on the alternatives and environmental impacts its analysis should address. A draft study will be released for public review later.

Starbase is SpaceX’s main research, development and flight-test site for the two-stage Starship rocket. The FAA currently authorizes up to 25 launches and 50 landings there each year, split between 25 Starship and 25 Super Heavy landings. The proposed 456-launch ceiling would be more than 18 times that launch allowance, a substantial change for nearby communities as well as SpaceX.

The proposal has two phases. The first would allow up to 100 launches and 200 landings annually, with operations possible any day or time. The second would raise those totals to 456 launches and 912 landings, with launches restricted to weekdays but allowed at any hour. The landing totals count both Starship and Super Heavy, including vehicles that could arrive at Starbase after launching elsewhere. The FAA describes the second phase as a mature program that would be implemented within several years, rather than an immediate jump to hundreds of flights.

The October notice also covers expanded Starship landing and ocean disposal areas and associated temporary airspace closures. The review will assess noise, air quality, wildlife, coastal and water resources, historic and cultural sites, and other impacts. It will compare the proposal with leaving the existing operating limits in place, while the FAA consults on endangered species and historic properties.

The FAA’s updated notice includes registration links for all five sessions. Written comments can also be submitted through regulations.gov under docket FAA-2026-12808 by December 7, replacing the previous November 30 deadline. The agency warns that comments, including any personal information supplied, may become public.

For people following Starbase’s expansion, the immediate change is how to participate and how long they have, rather than a new launch authorization.

What should the FAA focus on as it reviews SpaceX’s proposed Starbase expansion?