By: Gabby Zhou
Introduction
In August 2014, SpaceX announced that they had chosen Texas as the location for their SpaceX South Texas launch site. When Elon Musk first viewed the location, he had promised that “SpaceX would have a small, eco-friendly footprint and that the surrounding area would be ‘left untouched.’” (The New York Times, 2024) Nearly a decade later, the results speak for themself.
Starship’s Launch
Last month, SpaceX’s spacecraft Starship, the largest spacecraft ever manufactured, successfully launched, but at what cost? Two hours after the launch, once conditions were cleared, “a team from SpaceX, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a conservation group began canvassing the fragile migratory bird habitat surrounding the launch site.” (The New York Times, 2024) The launch had released a burst of mud, stone, and other debris across the public lands. Sheet metal and insulation from the spacecraft launch flew across the sand flats in the state park. In another area near the launch, a small fire ignited, leaving a patch of burned grassland.
Wildlife
Earlier that day, before the launch, there had been 9 nests recorded by the nonprofit Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program. Later after the launch, none of the 9 nests survived intact. Most of the eggs in the nests had been either damaged or fully destroyed. Much of what was left were yellow smears on the ground near the launch site.
What Will Happen in the Future?
What could this mean for the future of spacecraft missions? The answer to that is sadly unknown. So far, all we know is that Elon Musk has been continuing with his ambitions and plans for future SpaceX missions to Mars. Environmental activists are worried about how Elon Musk’s ambitions will destroy the future. However, the only way we can know is by being in the future.
(Don’t forget to still care about wildlife!)
Resources Used
The New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/07/us/politics/spacex-wildlife-texas.html
https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/a371a3e15a747134/b5b243af-full.pdf
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/07/us/politics/spacex-boca-chica-takeaways.html
Illuminem:
https://illuminem.com/illuminemvoices/wildlife-protections-take-a-back-seat-to-elon-musks-ambitions
SpaceX: