"U.S. regulators have completed a key environmental review that paves the way for SpaceX to more than double the number of Falcon 9 launches from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. In addition to the annual launch increase from 50 launches to up to 120, the Federal Aviation Administration's environmental review also approved a new on-site landing zone that could accommodate up to 34 booster landings per year."
"The review, finalized on Wednesday, found what's known as a "Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact," meaning the proposed changes "would not significantly impact the quality of the human environment" under federal law, with impacts reduced by specific protective measures. Those measures include obtaining additional environmental permits before construction of the new facilities, using sea turtle-friendly lighting at night, and conducting pre-construction surveys of Florida scrub-jay and eastern indigo snake populations to ensure wildlife protection."
"Regarding water management, the review concluded it is highly unlikely for industrial wastewater - specifically the huge volumes of water discharged by the deluge system during launch - to discharge into nearby waters. The deluge system, which sprays massive amounts of water onto the launch pad during liftoff to absorb heat and sound from the rocket engines, has been contentious. At SpaceX's Starbase launch site in Texas, environmental groups sued local regulators over authorizations allowing the company to discharge industrial wastewater from the pad."
U.S. regulators completed an environmental review allowing SpaceX to more than double Falcon 9 launches at Cape Canaveral from 50 to up to 120 annually and establish an on-site landing zone for up to 34 booster landings per year. The review issued a Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact with required protective measures such as additional environmental permits before construction, sea turtle-friendly nighttime lighting, and pre-construction surveys for Florida scrub-jay and eastern indigo snake populations. The review found industrial wastewater from the deluge system is highly unlikely to reach nearby waters. Further approvals from the FAA and the Department of the Air Force are still required.
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