Environmental Group Slams Federal Regulators Over SpaceX Launch

The SpaceX Starship lifts off from the launchpad during a flight test from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on April 20, 2023.

Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP / Getty Images

A newly-filed lawsuit claims officials are failing to prevent damage to the environment caused by Elon Musk's South Texas rocket launch pad. A test this April ended with concrete being blown into habitat used by protected species. SpaceX's Boca Chica launch site is surrounded by state parks and national wildlife refuge lands. The FAA recently ruled that more environmental analysis was not needed. The Center For Biological Diversity argues in its suit that regulators are playing Russian roulette with sensitive habitats. They want an independent investigation. And they fear that new water jets, used to cool down the launch pad after liftoff, could contaminate wetlands.


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