WASHINGTON The acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday the agency could advance the SpaceX Starship launch license as early as next month.

"We're working well with them and have been in good discussions ... I think we're optimistic sometime next month," acting FAA Administrator Polly Trottenberg told reporters on the sidelines of a conference.

SpaceX would still need a separate environmental approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before a launch.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese)