Many environmental organizations have sued the US Federal Aviation Administration over Starship’s flight tests. The text of the claim was: sent in open access.
On April 20, the first orbital flight tests of the Starship rocket were carried out and ended with an explosion at 4 minutes. Even before it exploded, during the takeoff period, rocket engines dug a hole under the launch pad, scattering huge chunks of steel and concrete hundreds of meters away. The dust cloud spread about 10 kilometers from the area, and at least one fire broke out within the Boca Chica Natural Park.
In this regard, the Center for Biodiversity, the Bird Conservation Society, and several other organizations filed a class action suit against the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the Federal Court for the District of Columbia. According to the plaintiffs, the Agency conducted an improper environmental investigation prior to granting the rocket launch permit, and therefore requests that the permit be withdrawn. Environmental activists argue that the first flight tests of the “world’s largest rocket” are damaging to nature, contrary to SpaceX’s commitment to keep it to a minimum.
“Federal authorities must protect vulnerable wildlife and vulnerable communities, not bow to corporate interests seeking to use valuable coastal landscapes as space junk,” said lead plaintiff Jared Margolis.
Before the flight was granted, some environmentalists said the spaceport was harming the local yellow-legged plover population. At the same time, according data The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said no wildlife was killed in recent tests, and Elon Musk has promised to place a massive steel plate under the nozzles to prevent debris from being ejected in future launches.