SpaceX rockets blew away local bird habitats after Elon Musk 'misled' NPS officials about expansion, NYT reports

Original reporting: Wildlife Protections Take a Back Seat to SpaceX’s Ambitions (New York Times)

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Source: Business Insider

SpaceX rockets blew away local bird habitats after Elon Musk 'misled' NPS officials about expansion, NYT reports

Lauren Edmonds
Sun, July 7, 2024 at 7:08 PM EDT·4 min read

SpaceX is ruffling feathers with its complex in Southern Texas.

A Sunday report by The New York Times said operations at Starbase in Boca Chica — which includes a rocket launchpad and a production facility— have damaged the local environment.

The outlet reported that SpaceX's operations have caused explosions, fires, leaks, and other issues at least 19 times since 2019. One rocket launch in 2023 ended in an explosion, which ignited 3.5 acres of a nearby state park.

The most recent incident occurred in June with the launch of Starship, which flew to space and back.

Although the flight was considered a success, it left behind trails of smeared egg yolk on the ground near the launch site.

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Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/spacex-rockets-blew-away-local-230818018.html

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Of course, the Muskrats have disputed whether the protected areas are ecologically valuable.