FAA approves 5x increase in Starship launches per year from Boca Chica

BOCA CHICA, Texas (ValleyCentral) — License modifications for SpaceX from the Federal Aviation Administration state that the space company may increase its Starship flight operations by five times what it is launching now out of Boca Chica Village.

A statement from the FAA indicates that modifications for the Starship Flight 9 mission have been approved. The approval includes upping the Starship launches from Boca Chica, also referred to as Starbase, from five to 25 per year.

In the same breath, the FAA announced that SpaceX's Starship is grounded until the FAA either closes the Starship Flight 8 mishap investigation or makes a return to flight determination.

SpaceX just only submitted its mishap report for Flight 8 on Wednesday.

"For the Starship Flight 9 mission, the FAA is expanding the size of aircraft and maritime hazard areas both in the U.S. and other countries," The FAA statement reads. "This is a result of the FAA requiring SpaceX to revise the Flight Safety Analysis following the prior launch mishap and because SpaceX intends to reuse a previously launched Super Heavy booster rocket for the first time."

To stay up to date on the latest happening at Starbase, watch LabPadre.