Federal judge sides with SpaceX after environmental group tried to stop rocket launches

A national justice sided with SpaceX aft an biology radical sought to halt its rocket launches conscionable months earlier the company's CEO is slated to enactment intimately with the incoming Trump administration.

During static occurrence tests and launches, SpaceX uses a "deluge system" that applies h2o to the rocket motor exhaust to sorb vigor and forestall explosions during takeoff.

SpaceX has said the strategy uses "clean, potable (drinking) water" for the tests, but a Texas-based biology radical claims the process poses a hazard to the environment.

In an October lawsuit, Save RGV, a nonprofit based successful the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, claimed SpaceX was violating the Clean Water Act by releasing wastewater from the launches astatine Starbase successful Boca Chica Beach, astir 25 miles eastbound of the metropolis of Brownsville. 

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A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with a NASA spacecraft bound for Jupiter lifts disconnected from pad 39A astatine the Kennedy Space Center Oct. 14, 2024, successful Cape Canaveral, Fla. (John Raoux)

The radical requested a restraining bid beryllium enactment successful spot to artifact SpaceX from utilizing the deluge system, which would enactment a clasp connected rocket launches.

In a station connected X, formerly Twitter, aft the suit was filed, the aeronautics company said an biology reappraisal had already been conducted that cleared the strategy from immoderate biology hazards.

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"The Texas Commission connected Environmental Quality (TCEQ) conducted a method reappraisal of Starship’s water-cooled occurrence deflector, which uses potable (drinking) h2o and determined that its usage does not airs hazard to the environment," SpaceX said successful an Oct. 10 post. "Save RGV acknowledged that they are alert of these straightforward facts and inactive filed an unwarranted and frivolous lawsuit."

SpaceX and Tesla laminitis Elon Musk speaks during an America PAC municipality hallway Oct. 26, 2024, successful Lancaster, Pa. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

In a caller ruling, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera denied the restraining bid request, saying that halting the rocket launches could person assorted antagonistic implications, including for NASA.

"Being incapable to motorboat would make assorted consequences for not lone Defendant, but besides the nationalist astatine large. It would importantly hold and perchance destruct Defendant’s contracts with NASA to further the Artemis Program and Human Landing System Program — worthy billions of dollars," Olvera wrote.

The justice besides ruled that SpaceX has not been harming the environment, citing biology reviews that person already been conducted connected the motorboat system.

"At the opening of the Starship-Super Heavy Launch System’s development, it became evident that a deluge h2o strategy was indispensable to support the motorboat tract and surrounding areas during launches," the justice wrote. "A deluge h2o strategy sprays ample quantities of potable h2o astatine the basal of the spacecrafts during motorboat to forestall fires and trim dispersal of particulate and debris."

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a unit of 2 lifts disconnected from motorboat pad 40 astatine the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Sept. 28, 2024, astatine Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

The determination comes conscionable 2 months earlier Musk is expected to enactment intimately with President-elect Trump's administration.

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Musk is readying to enactment with Trump and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy connected the recently formed Department of Government Efficiency to chopped authorities spending.