The Federal Aviation Administration has approved 25 Starbase launches for SpaceX in 2025, clearing the way for the world’s largest rocket to enter hyperdrive development. Previously capped at just five launches per year under the Biden administration, Starship could now lift off as frequently as every few weeks.
The FAA stated that the change in SpaceX’s Starship license—expanding annual launches from 5 to 25—”would not significantly impact the quality of the human environment.”
Starship launches take place in the coastal area of Boca Chica, Texas. Residents recently approved the incorporation of Starbase. This allows to further expand its technology hub that underpins America’s rocket program.
The increased Starship launch cadence allows Musk and Trump to fulfill a Mars agenda by the end of 2026.
Back in November, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell told investors that Starship launches over the next four years could exceed 400. She stated, “Technology is easy. Physics is easy. People are hard,” adding pointedly, “And regulator people are the hardest.”
She’s not wrong, especially considering how the Biden administration weaponized multiple federal agencies against Musk’s companies.