By: Emily Ao

Last month, SpaceX took a giant step as Elon Musk’s Starship successfully took off into space. Starship, which is the largest rocket ever made, was crafted for Musk in hopes of being a viable source of transportation for crews and cargo to Mars, the Moon, and more.

Following the successful launch, Musk hopped onto X, tweeting victoriously, “Mars, here we come!!” However, there was one thing he left un-tweeted: the launch of Starship violated the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) orders. The FAA feared that the impact of the launch could destroy homes due to large shock waves and ordered SpaceX to hold back. They did not regardless.

The launch had an indisputable impact on the environment. Mud and debris settled all around the launch area, and animal habitats were ruined. According to this New York Times article, a bird’s nest was destroyed during the impact. The yellow splatters that lay in place of the nest told the story. Out of all the nine nests around the area, none lasted throughout the launch. Nearby, a small fire had also ignited due to the massive burning of fuel.

But this wasn’t unexpected. Since 2019, SpaceX has had many occurrences where their operations have caused damage to the environment, including fires and explosions. Despite many endangered species inhabiting areas near the launch sites in Brownsville, TX, these activities have still persisted. These occurrences have led to researchers experimenting to find the right balance between environmental protection and a rapid, growing economy.

As the economy and the future of exploration becomes more and more advanced, things are starting to get unpredictable. One thing is for sure though: Musk and SpaceX are undoubtedly becoming more and more ambitious, and if they don’t find ways to reduce the impact on wildlife, there will be trouble.

Image Credit by SpaceX