US court case over SpaceX’s starship explosion over pollution

Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), claiming that Elon Musk’s company SpaceX tested a powerful rocket ‘Starship’ last month that exploded and spread pollution and affected the environmental cycle.

According to news agency AP, wildlife and environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the FAA in court, saying that the FAA did not do a detailed analysis of the damage caused by the rocket launch and gave permission on the spur of the moment.

The environmental group filed the lawsuit in federal district court in Washington, according to the AP. The environmental group also asked the court to revoke the FAA’s license to SpaceX to launch 20 Starships per year for the next 5 years.

SpaceX first tested the Starship rocket on April 20 from its site on the Bocachica coast in South Texas. The Starship rocket, about 120 meters high, flew up to a height of 39 km. However, due to some technical error, the rocket exploded in the Gulf of Mexico after 3 minutes. SpaceX’s rocket launching site was also damaged by the launch, photos of which were released.

The launch test was strongly criticized by many organizations. The Center for Biological Diversity, The American Bird Conservancy, The Surfrider Foundation and others have now filed suit. It is said that due to the launch, the dust and pollution particles reaching the surrounding areas are more than the standards.

However, Elon Musk has said, ‘According to our study, nothing has happened to affect the environment. We are aware of the environment.’ Musk has promised to pay attention to this matter in the next Starship launch.

But according to environmental groups and organizations, the area from where it was launched is home to several endangered species. The starship launch and explosion caused intense heat, noise and light pollution in the surrounding area. Not only that, rocket debris has also spread in residential areas. The FAA declined to comment on the matter, AP reported.
A regulatory agency is investigating the starship launch. Upcoming launch tests of the starship have been suspended until the investigation is complete.

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