SpaceX flight plan could send Starship across Florida skies, FAA review finds

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - SpaceX is seeking federal approval to alter the flight path of its massive Starship rocket, a change that could send the vehicle across Florida skies.

What we know:

SpaceX is asking the Federal Aviation Administration to approve changes to the flight path of its Starship rocket, a move that could send the massive vehicle across Florida skies. The company has proposed two alternate routes: one toward the Cayman Islands and another directly over the state.

The FAA is reviewing the request, noting in a new report that launches from South Texas over Florida could disrupt commercial air traffic, potentially causing flight delays of 40 minutes to two hours during each launch. The agency also flagged safety risks, citing Starship’s history of mid-flight failures and breakups.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear how often SpaceX would use the new routes or how frequently Florida’s air traffic would be affected. Regulators have yet to determine what restrictions would apply during launches, and questions remain over how quickly SpaceX can demonstrate reliability with the still-developing Starship system.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX LOCAL APP

The backstory:

Starship is designed to be the world’s largest and most powerful rocket, with ambitions of carrying cargo and eventually humans to the moon and Mars. Unlike Falcon 9, which has become routine for NASA and commercial launches, Starship is still in its test phase. 

Timeline:

The FAA has scheduled a public meeting for Oct. 7 to gather input on the proposal. Public comments will remain open through Oct. 20 before the agency makes its decision.

What they're saying:

SpaceX has argued to regulators that broader flight paths are necessary to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness as the company pushes for rapid, repeated operations.

"They want to go to the next step and the next step is to get the Starship into orbit," said Dr. Don Platt, associate professor of space systems at Florida Tech. "We already have problems with thunderstorms. We’re really kind of suffering from growing pains."

Michael McCormick, associate professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said the size of Starship raises unique challenges. 

"The larger the vehicle is being launched, the more airspace that needs to be blocked," he said. "There have been anomalies, there have been breakups of the launch vehicle in flight, so you need to be very careful until you get the more stable routine launches. Those routes will then be closed, so those routes then move over mainland Florida."

In its filing, SpaceX told the FAA the new paths are critical to "facilitate frequent launch and landing operations to allow iterative development of Starship-Super Heavy vehicles to achieve rapid launch capability and increase operational efficiency, capabilities, and cost effectiveness."

SIGN-UP FOR FOX 35'S BREAKING NEWS, DAILY NEWS NEWSLETTERS