The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted SpaceX regulatory approval to significantly increase the number of Starship rocket launches from its Texas facility, marking a major step forward in the company's efforts to develop its next-generation Mars rocket.
The decision, announced Tuesday, allows Elon Musk’s company to raise its annual launch rate from five to 25 Starship missions from the Starbase site in Boca Chica, Texas. The FAA’s approval also covers booster landings in the Gulf of Mexico and other international waters, even accounting for the environmental impact of potential rocket failures or explosions.
The ruling concludes a multi-year environmental review by the FAA, which determined that the expanded operations would not result in significant harm to the surrounding habitat, coastline, or public safety.
Starship, designed to be fully reusable, is central to SpaceX’s ambitions for long-range space travel, including future crew and cargo missions to the Moon and Mars. The expanded launch allowance will provide the company with a greater testing cadence as it continues development and begins commercial missions under contracts with NASA and other partners.
The FAA’s approval is a critical regulatory milestone for SpaceX as it accelerates Starship development amid growing demand for large-scale orbital transportation and deep-space infrastructure.
Four private astronauts have completed a groundbreaking SpaceX mission, returning to Earth after orbiting from pole to pole and conducting experiments on human health in space.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams completed an unexpectedly long 286-day mission on the ISS, returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX capsule after delays caused by technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally heading back to Earth after spending nine unexpected months aboard the ISS due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner. Their long-awaited return on a SpaceX Crew Dragon caps a mission filled with delays, challenges, and global attention.
A SpaceX capsule has delivered four astronauts to the ISS for NASA’s latest crew rotation, allowing Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to return after nine months stranded due to a faulty Boeing Starliner capsule. Their scheduled departure on Wednesday has drawn political attention.
The U.S. Supreme Court has granted a request from the Trump administration to lift protections under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially opening the door to future deportations while litigation continues.
Lithuania has taken legal action against Belarus at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Minsk of organizing irregular migrant crossings and violating international obligations.
Indonesia has raised the alert level to the highest for Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki after it erupted eight times over the weekend, the country’s volcanology agency said.
As South Western Railway becomes the latest operator to be renationalised under Great British Railways (GBR), questions remain about whether these changes will lead to better services or lower fares.
In Malaysia, rivers are under threat from invasive fish species that have spread widely, harming native wildlife and local ecosystems.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on May 15, with discussions reportedly focusing on upcoming peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Istanbul.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war in Gaza will not stop until Hamas is destroyed, following the release of US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander.
Qatar signed a landmark agreement with U.S. aerospace giant Boeing on Wednesday to acquire 160 aircraft for Qatar Airways, a deal valued at $200 billion. The signing took place in Doha during the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations meet behind closed doors at Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace at 10:00 local time today to explore security guarantees, territorial integrity and a possible ceasefire.
EU approves 17th Russia sanctions, blacklisting almost 200 shadow‑fleet ships, 30 evasion firms and 75 defence figures, banning missile chemicals and arming Brussels to strike Kremlin hybrid and operations.
Microsoft announced on Monday that it will begin hosting AI models from Elon Musk's xAI, Meta Platforms, and European startups like Mistral and Black Forest Labs in its own data centers.
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun announced a $6.9 billion investment plan over the next decade to develop advanced chips, unveiling the new Xring O1 system-on-chip this Thursday, aiming to boost the company’s high-end smartphone strategy and reduce reliance on Qualcomm.
NASA’s Perseverance rover has spotted the first aurora on Mars visible to the human eye, offering a glimpse of what future astronauts might one day enjoy under the Martian sky.
China and Russia have agreed to build a nuclear-powered lunar base by 2036 at the Moon’s south pole. The International Lunar Research Station will support scientific research and resource exploration, marking a major step in their joint space efforts amid shifting global space priorities.
ChatGPT climbed to fifth place among the world’s most visited websites in April, outpacing rivals in the AI space despite increasing competition, including from China’s DeepSeek.
The U.S. Supreme Court has granted a request from the Trump administration to lift protections under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially opening the door to future deportations while litigation continues.
Lithuania has taken legal action against Belarus at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Minsk of organizing irregular migrant crossings and violating international obligations.
Indonesia has raised the alert level to the highest for Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki after it erupted eight times over the weekend, the country’s volcanology agency said.
As South Western Railway becomes the latest operator to be renationalised under Great British Railways (GBR), questions remain about whether these changes will lead to better services or lower fares.
In Malaysia, rivers are under threat from invasive fish species that have spread widely, harming native wildlife and local ecosystems.
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