spacetoday.net: Environmental groups suing FAA over Starship launch license

Environmental groups suing FAA over Starship launch license

Posted: Sat, May 6, 2023, 9:44 AM ET (1344 GMT)
Starship launching on first integrated test flight, April 2023 (SpaceX)

Several environmental groups are suing the FAA over its approval of SpaceX Starship launches from Texas. The groups, in a suit filed Monday in federal district court in Washington, said that the agency failed to follow environmental law and conduct a rigorous environmental review when it approved plans last year for SpaceX to conduct Starship/Super Heavy launches from Boca Chica, Texas. They want SpaceX's launch license, issued by the FAA last month, revoked, and require the FAA to perform a more detailed environmental impact statement. The suit cited damage caused by the April 20 Starship launch that scattered launch pad debris over several hundred acres and created a plume that deposited sand-like material more than 10 kilometers away.