FAA Public Meeting Spotlights SpaceX’s Proposed SLC-40 Launch Surge, New Landing Zone

Dateline: Cape Canaveral, FL – May 12, 2025

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hosted a rescheduled virtual public meeting on May 8, 2025, to gather community input on Space Exploration Technologies Corp.’s (SpaceX) proposal for a significant operational expansion at Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) here at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The plans include more than doubling the annual Falcon 9 launch cadence to 120 and constructing a new on-site landing zone for first-stage booster recovery, proposals that have brought forth a mix of support for economic and strategic benefits and concerns over environmental and community impacts.

SpaceX is seeking a modification to its existing FAA launch license to accommodate the increased tempo and new infrastructure. This includes provisions for up to 40 static fire tests annually and up to 34 booster landings at the proposed new SLC-40 landing pad. The FAA, as the lead agency under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), released a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA)—a study evaluating potential environmental effects—in March 2025 analyzing these proposed changes. The public comment period for this Draft EA, and a related Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) from the Department of the Air Force, officially closed on May 15, 2025, making the May 8th meeting a key opportunity for verbal testimony.

Public Weighs In: Noise, Wildlife, and Strategic Needs

During the virtual meeting, which saw attendance from local residents, business owners, environmental groups, and government officials, several key themes emerged:

Environmental and Community Concerns: Residents from nearby communities like Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island voiced significant concerns about increased noise levels, particularly the cumulative effect of up to 120 launches and 34 on-site landings (including sonic booms). Potential impacts on local wildlife, especially federally protected sea turtles (nesting disruptions from artificial lighting) and manatees, were also prominent discussion points. Some questioned the siting of the new landing zone within a designated floodplain.
Support for Expansion: Proponents, including representatives from Space Florida and Brevard County’s tourism office, highlighted the anticipated positive economic impacts. They pointed to sustained and growing skilled aerospace jobs and the potential to further boost the Space Coast’s tourism economy with more frequent launch viewing opportunities.
Strategic Imperative: A Space Launch Delta 45 official underscored the strategic importance of the new on-site landing zone at SLC-40. They reiterated a policy shift mandating such landings for critical Department of Defense (DoD) missions, noting that existing permits for off-site landings at LZ-1/LZ-2 are set to expire in July 2025. This looming deadline positions the new landing zone not just as beneficial, but as strategically essential for uninterrupted national security launch support from one of the nation’s key military launch facilities.
Operational Considerations: United Launch Alliance (ULA), operating the adjacent SLC-37, submitted written comments reportedly focused on potential operational conflicts, such as range deconfliction and airspace management challenges stemming from the significantly increased activity at SLC-40, and questions of liability. SpaceX, in turn, explained that the new landing zone’s design aims to minimize environmental impact by using previously cleared areas and that noise modeling for landings projects sonic booms within established safety thresholds.

The push for the new landing zone at SLC-40 is also driven by evolving constraints at SpaceX’s current recovery sites, LZ-1 and LZ-2 (formerly LC-13), which are seeing increased interest from other emerging launch providers.

Next Steps in FAA Review

With the public comment period now concluded, the FAA will review all submissions. The agency will then work with cooperating agencies – including the Department of the Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, and NASA – to finalize mitigation commitments.

The Final EA is estimated for Summer 2025. By late 2025, the FAA is expected to issue its decision: either a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), possibly with specific mitigation requirements (a Mitigated FONSI), or a determination that a more comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is necessary. An EIS would significantly extend the review timeline.

If a FONSI is issued, SpaceX can then apply for the license modification. Approval would allow the company to proceed with detailed design and construction of the new landing zone, significantly boosting its launch capacity from the Space Coast and directly supporting its high-tempo manifest for commercial satellite deployments, crewed missions, and critical national security operations.

The FAA’s upcoming decision will be a critical determinant for the future operational capacity of SLC-40 and will reflect the ongoing effort to balance rapid commercial space growth with environmental stewardship and community interests on the increasingly busy Space Coast.

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