SpaceX Starship Launch Lands FAA In Trouble As Activists Sue Regulator For Ignoring Environmental Impact

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has come under the radar for clearing SpaceX‘s Starship for launch.

What Happened: Several environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the FAA alleging that the federal agency failed to consider the environmental impact of the Starship launch from Boca Chica, Texas.

The plaintiffs include environmental groups like The Center for Biological Diversity, the American Bird Conservancy, the SurfRider Foundation, Save Rio Grande Valley and the cultural heritage organization Carrizo-Comecrudo Nation of Texas.

The complaint alleges that FAA authorized the launch without complying with bedrock federal environmental law. The FAA did not prepare an environmental impact statement but instead relied on a less thorough analysis prepared by SpaceX before issuing a clearance to launch, the suit alleged.

“They are the largest rockets ever made, and they are being launched right next to crucial habitat, putting imperiled wildlife at great risk and harming community interests,” the Center for biological diversity said in a statement.

The groups allege that the shortcomings of the FAA were “arbitrary, capricious, and in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Administrative Procedure Act.”

The lawsuit is against FAA and acting FAA administrator Billy Nolen in his official capacity and calls for a full environmental analysis. It does not list SpaceX as a defendant.

SpaceX conducted the first test launch of Starship in April. The rocket exploded in less than four minutes after take-off, damaging the launch pad at Starbase and raining down dust on the residents of Port Isabel, Texas.

However, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Saturday that the debris is not toxic and the company is not aware of any “meaningful damage” to the environment due to the launch.

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