(This story has been updated to include parking information for Tuesday’s daytime public meeting.)
SpaceX’s future Starship-Super Heavy launches and landings from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center could trigger safety closures of Playalinda Beach totaling the equivalent of 60½ days per year, Federal Aviation Administration officials project as a “most conservative” estimate.
But online opposition continues to organically grow over the FAA’s proposed Starship licensing plan, which would impose temporary closures of the Canaveral National Seashore public access road while allowing up to 44 annual launches of the mega-rocket from pad 39A.
Now, FAA officials will collect comments from residents on Starship environmental impacts during four public meetings on Merritt Island and in Cape Canaveral. More information:
Canaveral National Seashore officials are celebrating the coastline’s 50th year as a unit of the National Park Service. Established in 1975, the 58,000-acre barrier-island area features 24 miles of beaches.
A Change.org petition aimed at protecting public access to Playalinda Beach had garnered more than 3,000 signatures by Monday morning.
In its newly released 410-page Starship draft environmental impact statement, the FAA projected 33 to 44 Playalinda Beach full-day closures and up to 33 half-day closures per year, totaling the equivalent of 60½ days.
“Launch scrubs and weather delays could affect the length and/or number of closures; however, the extent of these occurrences cannot be quantified at this time,” the draft statement said.
Starship beach-closure impacts could be “significant,” according to a letter to the FAA signed by representatives of 10 environmental organizations, including Friends of Canaveral, Merritt Island Wildlife Association and Space Coast Audubon Society. The groups noted more than 2.1 million people visit Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore per year.
“The (FAA’s environmental impact study) should include a detailed analysis of the potential for Refuge and National Seashore closures, including the economic impact of such closures on businesses that are dependent upon customers using these federal properties,” the letter said.
“The EIS should also include an analysis of alternative strategies to minimize and mitigate the length of such closures,” the letter said.
The FAA draft statement noted that “it is anticipated that, similar to other launch vehicles like Falcon, associated closure areas would reduce in size and duration as the program matures, more data is available, and the reliability of the vehicle improves.”
All told, the FAA is analyzing environmental impacts of:
During this week’s public meetings, FAA officials will show a video presentation during the opening half-hour. Then the meetings will transition to an open-house, information-station format, and the FAA and contractors will provide information about the project.
“During the open house portion of the meeting, attendees can provide up to a three-minute verbal comment to a court reporter who will transcribe it for the record. Attendees also can submit written comments at the commenting stations,” an FAA meeting notice said.
Online, a Zoom meeting will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 3. Residents can also submit comments at regulations.gov.
For the latest news and launch schedule from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space. Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly Space newsletter.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
Space is important to us and that’s why we’re working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: FAA: Starship launches could close Playalinda Beach access for equivalent of 60 days per year
Reporting by Rick Neale, Florida Today / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
