SpaceX had noted earlier that it expects to conduct 10,000 launches annually but warned that the FAA’s outdated air traffic control systems could limit growth
- The FAA expects U.S. launches and re-entries to reach 10,000 annually by 2035.
- SpaceX proposed dedicated launch corridors, faster approvals and real-time flight tracking to improve launch frequencies
- SpaceX is targeting the first Starship launch from Louisiana by 2029.
Elon Musk said on Wednesday that SpaceX’s planned Starbase Louisiana facility could eventually handle 10,000 Starship launches annually, significantly higher than the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) estimates.
“10k Starship launches/year is just from Starbase Louisiana,” Musk wrote on X, responding to a discussion about SpaceX’s reply to the FAA request for industry feedback on new spaceports and priority airspace corridors.
While Musk did not specify a timeline, his target is above the FAA’s estimates. The agency expects U.S. launches and re-entries combined to reach 10,000 annually by 2035.
SPCX shares were up 0.6% in pre-market trading.
SpaceX Flags Launch Challenges To FAA
On Tuesday, SpaceX said it expects to conduct 10,000 launches annually but warned that the FAA’s outdated air traffic control systems could limit growth.
“FAA’s current air traffic control structure and processes are outdated and incapable of supporting a materially higher launch or reentry cadence than current levels,” the end-to-end space company said.
SpaceX proposed dedicated launch corridors, faster approvals, and real-time flight tracking to increase launch frequency without significantly disrupting commercial aviation.
Louisiana Base Will Be SpaceX’s Largest Launch Complex
In August, SpaceX announced plans for its largest launch complex yet to support regular Starship rocket launches. The company plans to spend around $100 billion to develop the world’s “largest” spaceport near Pecan Island in Vermilion Parish in Louisiana.
Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the first launch targeted by 2029.
SpaceX currently launches Starship from Starbase, Texas, and Falcon rockets from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, as well as California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base.
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The stock has gained more than 10% over its IPO price of $135.
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