“Starship just experienced what we call a rapid, unscheduled disassembly,” one commentator said during the test’s livestream. Credit: YouTube / SpaceX

South Texas environmental groups filed a lawsuit Monday alleging that the Federal Aviation Administration dialed back regulatory oversight of SpaceX, allowing the company to launch its doomed rocket sooner, CNBC reports.

SpaceX’s Starship Super Heavy, the largest rocket ever launched, suffered a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” shortly after lift-off on April 20. Concrete from the launch pad was blown into what environmental group consider delicate ecosystems, while sand-like particles dusted a large swath of land in and around Boca Chica, as reported by the Current.

State and federal authorities are still examining the environmental impact on the surrounding area. However, a collection of environmental groups and one cultural heritage organization allege that the FAA failed to properly explore the potential environmental impact prior to the launch, according to CNBC.

The lawsuit against the FAA was filed in Washington, D.C. district court by groups including the Center for Biological Diversity, the American Bird Conservancy, SurfRider Foundation, Save RGV and the Carrizo-Comecrudo Nation of Texas, the cable news network reports.

The plaintiffs maintain that the FAA waived the need for further analyses on potential ecological impacts because of “environmental mitigations” allegedly enacted by SpaceX to speed launch of its rocket.

In the petition, the groups argue that SpaceX’s environmental safeguards were insufficient and failed to prevent environmental damage from the launch and subsequent explosion of the rocket.

Billionaire Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder, on Saturday said that “to the best of our knowledge, there has not been any meaningful damage to the environment that we’re aware of,” CNBC reports.

The FAA has grounded further SpaceX launches while it conducts its own investigation.

Coming soon: SA Current Daily newsletter. We’ll send you a handful of interesting San Antonio stories every morning. Subscribe now to not miss a thing.

Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Related Stories

This article appears in Apr 19 – May 2, 2023.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...