The FAA Approves Additional Starship Launches, and a Healthy Satellite Industry

The FAA has released its Final Tiered Environmental Assessment authorizing SpaceX to conduct as many as 25 Starship launches per year from Starbase in Boca Chica.

The Revised Final EA evaluates two alternatives in detail: the Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative.

The Proposed Action alternative would modify SpaceX’s existing vehicle operator license. It would authorize the company's proposal to increase the cadence of the Starship/Super Heavy launch program at the Boca Chica vertical launch area (VLA) to up to 25 annual launches, and 50 total annual landings (25 of the Starship and 25 of the Super Heavy) and make vehicle and operational upgrades. Up to three of the 25 launches would occur during nighttime hours from the VLA.

Landings at the VLA would only take place during the daytime, with up to 22 Starship and 22 Super Heavy landings at the VLA.

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The global satellite communications (SATCOM) market is expected to reach a size of approximately $75 billion by the end of 2033. According to a report from Orion Market Research, that translates to a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.8 percent through the period.

The satellite communications market is experiencing rapid growth, due to increasing demand for broadband connectivity, especially in remote and underserved regions.

The market is driven by the growing demand for reliable internet connectivity in remote and rural areas, where traditional broadband infrastructure is limited. The rise of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, such as those from SpaceX's Starlink and Amazon's Project Kuiper, is significantly enhancing global coverage and data speeds. The increasing need for secure and efficient communication in defense, government, and military sectors is another major growth factor. Additionally, the global adoption of Internet of Things devices, 5G networks, and smart technologies is creating a surge in demand for satellite-based communication.

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The Satellite Industry Association (SIA) this week announced the release of its 28th annual State of the Satellite Industry Report (SSIR), a global summary of the commercial satellite industry. During 2024, the industry continued to grow at an unprecedented rate as a record number of 259 launches deployed an historic 21-hundred 72 tons, and 2,695 satellites into Earth orbit. At the end of 2024, a total of 11,539 satellites were operating in Earth orbit compared with just 3,371 in 2020.

After the release of the report, I delved into some of the details with Satellite Industry Association president Tom Stroup, starting with some of report's the key findings.

Tom Stroup, SIA

Yeah, I think that, you know, one of the key takeaways is that the industry continues to grow. And of course, we've seen different growth rates in the various sectors of the industry. But the manufacturing sector grew 17 percent last year. The launch sector grew 30% by revenue. And then within satellite services, we've seen satellite broadband and remote sensing continuing to grow very nicely. So I think that those are a couple of the key takeaways.

But also... you know the revenues only tell a portion of what's happening within the industry because there's so much innovation that's taking place and that's one of the things that we you know i've tried to highlight in the report that um you know while the and the industry is showing a tremendous amount of increase in terms of the number of satellites and growth within some of the different sectors that i just mentioned um you know it's it's really driven by