SpaceX Can Expand Operations At Starbase

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols said in Washington, D.C. that the FAA had fulfilled its obligation “to take a hard look at the effects of light on nearby wildlife” in rejecting a suit brought by conservation groups opposing the FAA’s 2022 approval of expanded rocket launch operations by SpaceX at its Starbase facility in south Texas.

The suit alleged that the launches, adjacent to a national wildlife refuge, would cause disruption to endangered ocelots and jaguarundis as well as nesting sites for Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles and other species including shorebirds. The disruption caused by noise, light pollution, construction, and road traffic would also degrade the area.

The FAA requires private space companies to obtain launch permits, and the process requires an environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The reviews are mandatory because launches and landings generally produce exhaust, smoke, falling debris, sonic booms and other noise as well as debris from normal or abnormal operations.

These effects are disruptive to local residents and towns and natural surrounding areas. They can also be dangerous to birds, land animals, and fish and marine mammals through hazardous materials spilled or generated in the operations.

In August 2025, President Donald Trump signed the Executive Order titled, “Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry” that relaxed environmental rules for space operators. The president cited a national security imperative in seeking to increase launches “substantially” by 2030.

FMI:  www.faa.gov/ , www.spacex.com/