6 February 2026 of the US Federal Civil Aviation Administration (FAA) officially completed the environmental examination and published the "Protocol of Decision" (Record of Decision), paving the way for Starship flights from the Kennedy Space Center.
The main parameters of the permission:
Number of launches: SpaceX received the "green light" for the implementation of 44 of Starship-Super Heavy launches per year from the historical site LC-39A.
Landings: The permit includes up to 88 landings annually: 44 for the Super Heavy accelerator and 44 for Starship (like a playground tower, as well as on marine platforms).
Deadlines: The first Starship mission from Florida could happen as early as the end 2026 year, as soon as SpaceX finishes upgrading the launch tower and installing sound suppression systems.
This allows SpaceX to move the Falcon 9 to other sites (example, SLC-40), freeing the LC-39A for regular Starship flights as part of NASA's Artemis program and missions to Mars.
The FAA concluded, that the benefits of developing commercial spaceflight outweigh the environmental risks, such as noise and impact on local fauna, provided SpaceX complies with certain restrictions.
Source: https://spacenews.com