On April 20, 2023, SpaceX’s Starship Super Heavy rocket exploded over the Gulf of Mexico shortly after takeoff, causing significant environmental damage. Despite the potential ecological harms, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had approved the Starship program without conducting a comprehensive environmental review, known as an environmental impact statement (EIS), and instead relied on a less thorough analysis based on SpaceX’s proposed environmental mitigations, which were insufficient.
In response, a group of environmental and cultural heritage organizations, including The Center for Biological Diversity, the American Bird Conservancy, SurfRider Foundation, Save Rio Grande Valley, and the Carrizo-Comecrudo Nation of Texas, filed a lawsuit against the FAA on May 1, 2023, in a district court in Washington D.C.
The plaintiffs claim that the FAA violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by failing to conduct an EIS and failing to take a hard look at the potential impacts of SpaceX’s Starship program on the environment, wildlife, public health, and cultural resources in Boca Chica and surrounding areas.
The lawsuit seeks to compel the FAA to conduct an EIS and suspend any further approvals of SpaceX’s Starship launches until then. The outcome of the lawsuit could have significant implications for SpaceX’s Starship program and the future of commercial space exploration, and could set a precedent for how the FAA regulates other space companies and their launch activities.
It is worth noting that SpaceX’s CEO Elon Musk has downplayed the environmental impacts of his rockets, stating that there has not been any meaningful damage to the environment from his launches. However, the explosion of the Starship Super Heavy rocket and its resulting ecological damage may change this perception.
Given the potential implications of this lawsuit, it is expected to take several months or even years to resolve. Nevertheless, it highlights the importance of conducting comprehensive environmental impact statements and ensuring that space companies prioritize environmental protection in their operations.
