Photo: SpaceX
Today, the US Space Force (along with the Department of the Air Force) held the third of three in-person meetings in Cape Canaveral to provide information about a Proposed Action that would ultimately see SpaceX’s Starship launch and land at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
At these meetings, the public was able to ask public affairs officials about the ramifications of SpaceX using launch pad SLC-37 or building a new launch complex, SLC-50, between current pads SLC-37 and SLC-40 on the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Either of those facilities that could be used for Starship operations if they are chosen and later constructed.
Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT
Officials from the Department of the Air Force, US Space Force, the Federal Aviation Administration, US Coast Guard, NASA, and the US Coast Guard were present today to answer questions from a large number of members of the public interested in learning more about the DAF / SpaceX proposed action. Visitors could also submit their comments in person, which many folks took the time to do in the past three days.
Online Meeting Coming Soon
For those who could not attend the information sessions in Cocoa, Titusville or Cape Canaveral in person, there is one remaining meeting, this time online:
March 12 6:00 PM EDT: at spaceforcestarshipeis.com, under “Public Meetings.”
A registration link has not yet been posted, and is labeled as “Coming Soon.” It will be activated closer to the date of the meeting.
What’s An EIS Again?
An Environmental Impact Study takes a look at multiple factors that could be affected by a project like a re-engineered or new launch pad at Cape Canaveral.
- Those factors include:
- Airspace and maritime resources
- Air quality
- Climate change
- Noise
- Cultural resources
- Biological resources
- Water resources
- Hazardous materials and wastes
- Land use
- Infrastructure and utilities
- Geology
- Socioeconomics
- Environmental justice
- Safety and occupational health
- Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966
The American Bar Association explains it this way:
“[An] environmental impact statement (EIS) is a government document that outlines the impact of a proposed project on its surrounding environment. In the United States, these statements are mandated by federal law for certain projects. Environmental impact statements are meant to inform the work and decisions of policymakers and community leaders.
American Bar Association
“In the United States at the federal level, an EIS is a report mandated by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), to assess the potential impact of actions “significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.” This requirement under NEPA does not prohibit harm to the environment, but rather requires advanced identification and disclosure of harm.”
New: The Role of the FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration is responsible for commercial spaceflight as well as its traditional roles in aircraft such as private planes, and commercial airlines, among others. One thing that was not included in the EIS public handouts was specifically what their role is in terms of Starship launches from the Cape:
Notable: the Environmental Impact Statement will fulfill the FAA’s obligation for an environmental review, and any mitigations deemed necessary will need to be completed in order for the FAA to issue SpaceX a launch license (after the pad is constructed.)
In-Depth Looks
Below are two links that can provide a great deal of information about the Proposed Action. First, the official site for the EIS has a great deal of information, and in particular, a PDF file of the information displayed at the in-person meetings can be downloaded. The second is our informational article published earlier this month. In it, Talk of Titusville gives additional information regarding Starship, Starship’s propellant and the risk of pollution from them as well as a look at the Proposed Actions.
Official Site: Starship-Super Heavy Operations At Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Environmental Impact Statement
Talk of Titusville: The US Air Force Is Studying Space Coast Launch Pads For SpaceX Starship
Timeline:
After the final Public Meeting on March 12, a relatively quiet period will follow where studies will be conducted and a draft Environmental Impact Statement is created.
After next week, work will be done behind the scenes where many of the factors that affect the project are studied, public sentiment from the meetings will be gauged and a draft EIS released by the end of the year.
Then, in December of this year, that Draft Environmental Statement will be publicly released, and a Public Hearing will be conducted. Public comments on the Draft EIS will be solicited, and finally, in the summer of 2025, the preferred altenative will be identified along with the release of the Final EIS.