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Final ruleTook effect Jan. 22, 2026

Safety Zone; Rocket Test Site, Rio Grande River, Boca Chica, TX

Built by the Tribune's code from the Federal Register. No AI wrote this page. Published in the Federal Register Jan. 22, 2026. Document 2026-01168. Updated Nov. 15, 2026.

What it does

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters of the Rio Grande River. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by cryogenics and structural tests of SpaceX rockets at their Massey's test site. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port, Sector Corpus Christi. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What changed in the regulation

1 part of Title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

33 CFR 165

Wording on eCFR: the day before it took effect and from the day it took effect (first part listed).

Compared with

The Coast Guard has published 344 final rules in 2026 so far, compared with 224 in all of 2025.

Counted by the Tribune from Federal Register records since Jan. 1, 2025.

Before this

106 earlier Federal Register documents under regulation identifier 1625-AA00 since Jan. 1, 2025.

Since then:

What happens next and when

This rule is effective without actual notice from January 22, 2026 through February 28, 2026. For the purposes of enforcement, actual notice will be used from December 22, 2025, until January 22, 2026.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Document number2026-01168
ActionTemporary final rule.
AgenciesHomeland Security Department; Coast Guard
PublishedJan. 22, 2026
Effective dateJan. 22, 2026
Regulation identifier (RIN)1625-AA00
DocketUSCG-2025-1125

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register