SpaceX Plans Starship Reentry over Mexico, Avoiding Major Cities

SpaceX is preparing for a significant milestone in its Starship program, with plans to conduct a reentry flight over Mexico while avoiding major urban centers. This operation, expected to happen in early 2024, aims to demonstrate the rocket’s capability to return safely to its launch site in South Texas after a low-Earth orbit mission.

The upcoming test flight will mark a pivotal moment for Elon Musk‘s vision of a fully reusable rocket system. SpaceX’s Starship, measuring 408 feet in total height, is designed to facilitate interplanetary travel, including missions to Mars and lunar landings. Achieving a successful return and catch at the launch tower in Texas would be a crucial step in proving the rocket’s reusability.

To navigate the complexities of geography during reentry, SpaceX must adhere to a carefully plotted trajectory. Unlike launches from Cape Canaveral in Florida, which can extend over the ocean, the Starship departing from South Texas must steer clear of populated areas to minimize risk. The rocket will launch eastward over the Gulf of Mexico and approach the launch site from the west during its return.

In a recent update, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released maps indicating potential flight paths for the Starship’s reentry phase. This announcement followed a draft environmental assessment examining the implications of these new trajectories. The FAA assessed that the proposed flight paths would have “no significant impacts” on air quality, noise levels, or public safety.

The environmental review is just one aspect of the FAA’s broader evaluation process. It also considers public safety, national security, and insurance requirements. For a commercial launch and reentry, the FAA mandates that the risk to the public must not exceed a 1 in 10,000 chance of harm for any individual not involved in the mission.

Should an anomaly occur during reentry, debris from the disintegrated rocket could fall on populated areas. This concern is heightened by past failures, including incidents where Starship components rained down over the Turks and Caicos Islands earlier this year.

To mitigate risks, SpaceX plans to avoid flying over large metropolitan areas. Maps show that returning Starships may pass over regions in Mexico, including cities like Hermosillo and Chihuahua, each with populations around one million. The flight path is designed to steer clear of larger cities such as Monterrey, which has a population of approximately 5.3 million, and major U.S. cities like San Diego and Phoenix.

One of the critical factors in achieving a safe reentry trajectory involves launching Starship into an orbit with precise inclination. The rocket’s trajectory must be adjusted slightly to ensure it can return safely. Proposed flight paths include options that would either fly southeast over the Caribbean or northeast over the Atlantic, both designed to avoid significant urban areas.

The FAA’s assessment also indicates that the proposed reentry paths will necessitate temporary airspace closures. These closures could affect up to 200 commercial flights for each Starship mission, adding to existing airspace regulations associated with test flights.

Looking ahead, SpaceX aims to increase the frequency of Starship launches from Florida’s Space Coast, where trajectories can be optimized for safety over the Atlantic Ocean. As the company progresses towards regular launches, ambitions extend beyond Earth, including plans for missions to Mars and lunar exploration.

For now, SpaceX is focused on mastering the complexities of orbital refueling and achieving reliable reentry processes. The upcoming tests will play a crucial role in validating these technologies, paving the way for future endeavors in space exploration.