Federal documents warn Starship launches from Kennedy Space Center could ripple through Florida airspace, causing ground stops, reroutes, and delays up to two hours. Reentry of Starship's stages could also require ground stops at some of the nation's busiest airports. Potentially affected airports include Orlando, Miami, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale. Average delays may range from 40 minutes to two hours for launches and booster landings, and 40 minutes to one hour for reentries, with diversions and cancellations possible. The FAA would establish Aircraft Hazard Areas that could overlay oceanic routes above the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and parts of Central America, necessitating substantial rerouting.
As regulators weigh SpaceX's plans to launch its massive Starship rocket from Kennedy Space Center, federal documents warn those flights could ripple through Florida airspace, forcing ground stops at multiple airports, reroutes, and delays of up to two hours. Even after launch, reentry of Starship's two stages could require ground stops at some of the busiest airports in the country, according to a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) released by the Federal Aviation Administration this month.
To manage risk, the FAA would establish Aircraft Hazard Areas (AHAs) over potentially impacted zones, as it does for commercial space launches today. Depending on the Starship flight trajectory, those zones could overlay routes above the Atlantic, parts of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and airspace in several Central American countries. "AHAs may necessitate the closure of dozens of coastal and deep-water oceanic airways over the Atlantic Ocean, requiring substantial aircraft rerouting to avoid the AHAs," the draft EIS says regarding Starship launches.
Florida airports affected by the launches may include Orlando International, Miami International, Tampa International, and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International. Average delays could be as long as 40 minutes to 2 hours for launches and Super Heavy booster landings, and 40 minutes to one hour for Starship reentries. Diversions and cancellations are possible, the FAA said in a companion slide deck. Tampa International Airport spokesperson Emily Nipps told TechCrunch the airport has not been involved in any briefings or procedural planning with the FAA or SpaceX.
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