Notice of Availability on the Final Tiered Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for SpaceX Starship Reentry Contingency Operations in the Pacific Ocean and Additional Starship Landing Trajectory
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), DOT Order 5610.1D, DOT's Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts, and FAA Order 105...
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION:
Notice of availability of the Final Tiered EA and FONSI/ROD.
SUMMARY:
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), DOT Order 5610.1D,
DOT's Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts,
and FAA Order 1050.1G,
FAA National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures,
the FAA is announcing the
( printed page 56940)
availability of the Final Tiered Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision for SpaceX Starship Reentry Contingency Operations in the Pacific Ocean and Additional Starship Landing Trajectory (Final Tiered EA and FONSI/ROD).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The FAA is the lead agency. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) are cooperating agencies due to their special expertise and/or regulatory jurisdiction. The FAA evaluated SpaceX's proposal for Starship reentry contingency operations in the Pacific Ocean as well as airspace closures for an additional Starship reentry trajectory for landing at Starbase in Texas. SpaceX must obtain a modification to their existing vehicle operator license from the FAA to authorize the expenditure of the Starship vehicle in additional downrange contingency landing areas within the Pacific Ocean. Specifically, the license modification would permit contingency landings in a newly designated Northern Pacific Contingency Landing Area as well as authorize the expansion of two previously evaluated contingency landing locations: (1) Hawaii and Central Pacific Ocean Contingency Landing Area and (2) Southeast (SE) Pacific Contingency Landing Area.
The Final Tiered EA evaluated the potential environmental impacts associated with FAA's approval of related airspace closures.
The FAA published a Draft Tiered EA for a 22-day public comment period that began on July 13, 2026, and ended on August 3, 2026, following a one-week extension. FAA received 37 comments during that period. All comments received during the comment period were given equal weight and taken into consideration in the preparation of the Final Tiered EA and FONSI/ROD.
Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.
91 FR 56939
Web Citation
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“Notice of Availability on the Final Tiered Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for SpaceX Starship Reentry Contingency Operations in the Pacific Ocean and Additional Starship Landing Trajectory,” thefederalregister.org (September 4, 2026), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2026-18135/notice-of-availability-on-the-final-tiered-environmental-assessment-and-finding-of-no-significant-impact-for-spacex-star.
www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/spacex_starship