The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has authorized SpaceX to increase the number of Starship launches from Texas to 25 per year — five times the previous limit. The decision, which Elon Musk’s company calls a step toward an interplanetary future, has prompted a wave of criticism because of the threat to the region’s unique ecosystems.
Starship, the most powerful rocket in history, has already demonstrated its risks more than once: during tests in 2023, explosions caused fires in Boca Chica State Park, destroyed nests of rare birds, and the noise from launches has been compared to an earthquake, causing local residents to complain constantly. According to a study in the journal Nature, 62% of the world’s spaceports are located near protected areas. SpaceX’s Texas site is no exception: it borders a wildlife refuge that is home to hundreds of animal species, some of them rare.
Voices of protest
As Elon Musk said after one of Starship’s failed launches, “Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed.” Unfortunately for nature and people, this “entertainment” can cost too much.
Moriba Jah, a professor at the University of Texas, cautions: “We are accelerating technology while ignoring environmental sustainability. The constant rocket explosions during tests are not spectacular “entertainment” for the locals, as Elon Musk claims, but a real danger.”
Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed! ✨
pic.twitter.com/nn3PiP8XwG— gorklon rust (@elonmusk) January 16, 2025
Eco-activists also accuse SpaceX of systemic groundwater contamination. Christopher Basaldu of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network notes: “The company has been hiding harm for years. Authorizing 25 launches without a full environmental assessment is nonsense.”
Of particular concern is the lack of consultation with the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribal Nation, whose lands are adjacent to the spaceport.
Global consequences
Risks are not limited to one state. During the FAA hearing in January, Hawaii residents expressed concerns that the Starship’s falling stages off the coast could harm humpback whales and monk seals, endangered species. The researchers recall the Russian Proton rocket accident in 2013, when a fuel leak destroyed thousands of hectares of taiga.
The FAA says the new conditions won’t have a significant impact on the environment, but scientists are pushing for a more in-depth analysis. “We need inclusive solutions where the voice of local communities and experts will be equal,” emphasizes Jah.
As SpaceX prepares for new launches, the controversy surrounding Starship is a reminder: the path to the stars doesn’t have to become a path to destroy Earth. Will it be possible to find a balance between technological breakthroughs and ecology? Only time will prove the truth, but then it will be too late and very expensive to correct the mistakes of progress.
Earlier we reported on how investment in SpaceX from China turned Elon Musk into a prime suspect.
According to chron.com
