Musk’s SpaceX faces trail due to rocket debris
(MENAFN)
Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX is under legal scrutiny in Mexico after debris from a failed Starship launch landed along the Gulf Coast, prompting environmental concerns. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Wednesday that authorities are assessing potential violations of international law and may proceed with legal action.
Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX is under legal scrutiny in Mexico after debris from a failed Starship launch landed along the Gulf Coast, prompting environmental concerns. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Wednesday that authorities are assessing potential violations of international law and may proceed with legal action.
The controversy follows a June 18 test flight from SpaceX’s Boca Chica site in Texas, during which the Starship rocket exploded, scattering fragments such as metal tubing, plastic, silicone, rubber, and cooling tanks into the Gulf of Mexico. Some of the debris drifted ashore near Matamoros in Tamaulipas state, raising alarms among local officials and environmentalists.
“There is contamination,” Sheinbaum confirmed. “We are reviewing which international laws may apply, and legal proceedings will follow accordingly.”
While SpaceX stated that the incident posed no risk to nearby communities, and no injuries were reported, environmental groups have raised concerns about the impact on local ecosystems—especially the endangered olive ridley sea turtles. Though larger debris has been cleared, Mexican environmental agencies are now focusing on identifying and removing micro-debris, which could have long-term ecological consequences. One piece of wreckage—a metal cylinder—was even discovered stuck in a tree.
Despite these concerns, US regulators in May approved an increase in annual Starship launches from 5 to 25, rejecting warnings that the increased frequency could harm marine wildlife.
The fallout adds to existing tensions between Mexico and American tech firms. In a separate case, Mexico filed a lawsuit against Google in May over a name change on digital maps from “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America,” made in line with a directive by US President Donald Trump.
Musk, downplaying the incident, referred to the explosion as “just a scratch” in a post on his social media platform X. However, with explosive test failures becoming more common in SpaceX’s Starship program, scrutiny over its environmental impact continues to grow.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
