By Sissy Cao
Observer
SpaceX’s aggressive plan to test fly its Mars-colonizing spaceship, Starship, in the remote beach village at Boca Chica Beach in South Texas is worrying environmental regulators.
In a new set of documents released by the Federal Aviation Association on Monday, the federal agency cited concerns raised by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department about SpaceX’s incessant and dangerous work in Boca Chica.
Critics were particularly worried about SpaceX’s excessive road closures to Boca Chica Beach, around-the-clock construction work that may disturb nocturnal species and potential prototype explosions, which have caused wildfires in the past.
SpaceX privately owns the launch and development site in Boca Chica. The company has been using the site primarily for testing Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy rockets since 2014. However, as those two rockets enter commercial service, SpaceX in recent years has been gradually adjusting the Boca Chica site for its next big project, Starship.
A lot of the changes involved in this process require FAA approval.
SpaceX’s aggressive plan to test fly its Mars-colonizing spaceship, Starship, in the remote beach village at Boca Chica Beach in South Texas is worrying environmental regulators.
In a new set of documents released by the Federal Aviation Association on Monday, the federal agency cited concerns raised by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department about SpaceX’s incessant and dangerous work in Boca Chica.
Critics were particularly worried about SpaceX’s excessive road closures to Boca Chica Beach, around-the-clock construction work that may disturb nocturnal species and potential prototype explosions, which have caused wildfires in the past.
SpaceX privately owns the launch and development site in Boca Chica. The company has been using the site primarily for testing Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy rockets since 2014. However, as those two rockets enter commercial service, SpaceX in recent years has been gradually adjusting the Boca Chica site for its next big project, Starship.
A lot of the changes involved in this process require FAA approval.
For example, SpaceX has requested permission to build a new launch mount and an extra test pad for Starship. The latter would be built in case the primary pad is damaged during a test failure, as happened with the SN$ prototype during a static-fire test in May. The company is also waiting for the agency’s green light to launch the first suborbital test of Startship.
On Monday, the FAA released three recent documents as part of its ongoing Starship evaluation, as first reported by Business Insider, Overall, the agency is supportive of SpaceX’s expansion of Starship tests in Boca Chica, since the spacecraft falls within the scope of “reusable suborbital launch vehicles” laid out in SpaceX’s original plan when purchasing the site.
The FAA also assured state and federal environmental agencies that there will be “no significant environmental changes, and that all pertinent conditions and requirements of the prior approval have been met or will be met” by SpaceX.
The FAA also assured state and federal environmental agencies that there will be “no significant environmental changes, and that all pertinent conditions and requirements of the prior approval have been met or will be met” by SpaceX.
8 comments:
If there's money to be made by YOU KNOW WHO they'll do anything even destroy all enviromental and wildlife in that area and as far as the beach closeures they don't give a dam they sold all the property in that area, so in reality Mr Pothead can close the road to HIS PROPERTY any time (end of story)...
LETS RE-ELECT ALL THESE MAMONES AGAIN AND AGAIN...
so don't complain
Juan really Texas parks and wildlife now has concerns, dont you think its a little too late for that.
Publicity stunt or someone looking for a promotion
But what about all those high paying jobs for locals they have created. After all, Juan Fulano is cutting the grass.
We lost Boca Chica Beach. Thanks a lot idiots! Se los periqio bien bule el Electric Car Space Martian Man. Unlike Musk, and his team who stand to benefit from this, we have not benefited a dam thing from this. Only lost Boca Chica Beach.
Hey I remember a big bank guy built a place at the mouth of the Arroyo try fishing down there.
Looks like the ultimate toy, go for it pinche hillbilly coco wanna be white IDIOTA!
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