An hourly launch is not a dream? SpaceX (SPCX.US) applies for 456 Starship launches per year, FAA initiates environmental review

SpaceX (SPCX.US) is proposing to increase Starship launches and landings at its Starbase facility in South Texas to hundreds per year, a plan that is now under review by the U.S. government. According to a notice published Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it plans to prepare an environmental impact statement for SpaceX's proposal and hold public meetings. According to the FAA, SpaceX proposes to conduct as many as 456 launches and 912 recovery operations per year at its Texas facility. After a launch or mission ends, the two major vehicle stagesthe Starship spacecraft and the Super Heavy boosterwould return to the base fully upright to complete recovery for reuse. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has publicly said the company intends to accelerate the pace of Starship launches as much as possible in the future, and said that within less than a decade, the vehicle will be capable of launching more than once per hour. The company also recently announced plans to invest as much as $100 billion to build a large launch site in southern Louisiana to support high-frequency Starship launches. While increased launches would help advance SpaceX's broader space exploration goals, they also carry risks, including potential environmental impacts and disruptions to aviation orderairlines need to adjust flight routes to avoid debris falling during launches or rocket explosions. The FAA's analysis of SpaceX's Starbase facility plan in Texas will assess potential risks to air quality, wildlife, and coastal resources, among other things. A draft will be released later and opened for public comment. The FAA said SpaceX's plan would proceed in two phases. In the first phase, SpaceX would conduct as many as 100 Starship launches and 200 recoveries per year from the site. These operations could take place on any date or at any time. "As the vehicle matures and reliability increases, launch and recovery frequency is expected to rise," the FAA said. SpaceX would reach the scale of 456 launches in the second phase, which could be implemented "within several years." During that period, launches could still take place at any time of day, but would be limited to Monday through Friday. The FAA also noted that the cap of 912 recoveries represents the maximum number of recoveries that could occur at SpaceX's Texas facility, regardless of where Starship launches from. SpaceX may also choose to recover the vehicle stages on land, or allow them to splash down in the nearby Gulf of Mexico or in distant ocean areas. Previously, Starship flew at most five times per year at Starbase, and the company has conducted only three launches of the vehicle so far in 2026. However, Starship is designed to be fully and rapidly reusable, capable of flying again quickly with only minor refurbishment. SpaceX has not yet achieved that capability, but Musk has said the company hopes to land both major Starship stages back at Starbase together by the end of the year. The FAA said SpaceX is currently authorized to conduct as many as 25 launches and 50 recovery operations per year at its Starbase facility in Texas.