US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Approved SpaceX Plan for a large -scale expansion of Falcon launches 9 from the cosmondrome on Cape Canaveral. The company will be able to raise the annual number of starts from the SLC-40 site with 50 to 120 without the need for a full environmental analysis.
The project also includes the construction of a new landing pad for returning to 34 accelerators per year. Its diameter will be close to 120 meters, a 9-meter pedestal will be erected on the site to serve the steps, gas line for nitrogen, crane storage area and additional engineering facilities. The total area of the new complex will be approx 10 acres.
Despite the lack of a complete environmental study, the launch of the project was nevertheless assessed within the framework of the National Law on Environmental Policy. The FAA concluded, that increasing the number of takeoffs and landings will not have a significant impact on the environment. This decision avoids a two-year delay, which would arise in the event of a large-scale assessment.
Most return degrees of Falcon 9 and will continue to be performed on autonomous offshore platforms, however, the new landing area will complement the infrastructure at Kennedy and Canaveral. Together with the LC-39A site, the company will potentially be able to carry out up to 56 land landings annually, which will increase the number of sonic booms in the region.
The FAA approval is an important step for SpaceX, which is increasing the pace of launches against the background of growing demand for launching satellites, manned missions and commercial contracts. Meanwhile, separate environmental reviews are still ongoing for the Falcon Heavy and Starship programs.
Source: https://www.msn.com