SpaceX has few alternatives if lawsuit upends Musk's Texas launch plans
Elon Musk-led SpaceX has few alternative options for test-launching its giant Starship spacecraft in the near term if a newly-filed lawsuit disrupts the breakneck speed of development at its remote Texas launch site, legal and industry experts say.
Conservation groups sued the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Monday for approving SpaceX's rocket operations without conducting a deeper review of its environmental impact on land surrounding the Boca Chica, Texas, launchpad.
That lawsuit was filed 11 days after the debut Starship flight toward space showered sand and debris miles from the Texas launchpad, and hurled chunks of reinforced concrete and metal shrapnel thousands of feet from the site, adjacent to a national wildlife refuge.
Starship is SpaceX's next-generation rocket crucial for the company's commercial launch business and Musk's aim to start human colonies on Mars. And NASA is banking on SpaceX's quick development timelines to use Starship for landing humans on the moon by around 2026.
While the Texas site, named Starbase, is only intended for testing, and Starship will ultimately operate in Florida, a lengthy court battle or a ruling against the FAA could nix Musk's goal to try another test launch in as little as two months.
Legal experts with experience in the kinds of claims brought on Monday said the lawsuit could cause massive delays if a court tells the FAA to conduct a full environmental impact statement review.
"You could be looking at anywhere from two to five years," Penn State Law professor Jamison Colburn said.
Test sites suitable for massive prototype rockets like Starship require a narrow set of conditions.
Launching far from populated areas and near a coast - so the rocket can arc toward space
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