SpaceX, the space exploration venture headed by Elon Musk, is embroiled in a lawsuit. According to the allegations raised by multiple environmental bodies, the company’s rocket launches are causing significant harm to the environment surrounding the launch sites.
What Happened: Environmental organizations have launched a complaint against the environmental ramifications of SpaceX’s Starship launches from its Starbase facility in southern Texas. The groups believe that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) failed to carry out sufficient environmental reviews before the second launch on November 18, reported USA Today.
The complainants, including the Center for Biological Diversity, American Bird Conservancy, Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas, Inc., Save RGV, and Surfrider Foundation, assert their concerns over the impact on wildlife and local communities. Jared Margolis, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, stated, “SpaceX should not be given free rein to use this amazing area as a sacrifice zone.”
These organizations had previously initiated a lawsuit against the FAA in May, with SpaceX later joining as a co-defendant. They charged the FAA with allowing SpaceX to bypass essential environmental assessments due to political and financial influence.
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Why It Matters: This is not the first time SpaceX has faced legal challenges concerning environmental concerns. In May, environmental organizations sued the FAA for failing to consider the environmental impact of the Starship launch from Boca Chica, Texas as per Benzinga. SpaceX was later added as a co-defendant in this lawsuit.
In July 2023, SpaceX requested the court to dismiss the complaint against it and the FAA, stating that the plaintiffs failed to establish standing or state a claim that could warrant relief. Despite these allegations, SpaceX carried out the first test launch of Starship on April 20 as reported by Benzinga.
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