In late April, the FAA extended the target
date to May 31 for a decision, saying it was "working toward issuing the
final Programmatic Environmental Assessment" after several delays. The
agency said in April SpaceX had made multiple changes to its application that
required additional FAA analysis.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk said in February
he was "highly confident" his new SpaceX Starship, designed for
voyages to the moon and Mars, would reach Earth orbit for the first time this
year.
Even in a "worst-case" scenario,
in which a full environmental impact statement was required or legal wrangling
over the issue threatened to drag on, Musk said SpaceX has a fallback plan.
The company would shift its entire Starship
programme to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, where SpaceX
already has received the environmental approval it needs, Musk said.
Such a move would cause a setback of six to
eight months, he added. In any case, SpaceX is still shooting for a 2023 launch
of what it calls the world's first private lunar mission, flying aboard a
Starship to loop around the moon and return to Earth.
The FAA also released 17,000 comments
Tuesday that show concerns raised about the project impact on migratory birds,
endangered species and a nearby wildlife refuge.
The nearby city of Port Isabel, Texas
raised "serious concerns" in a November letter warning the
"potential impact of noise, vibration and overpressure" and asked the
FAA to limit the number of launches per year and restrict the time and
conditions when they are allowed.
The FAA notes completing the environmental
review does not guarantee the issuance of a vehicle operator license, which is
contingent upon meeting FAA requirements for safety, risk and financial
responsibility. © Reuters
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