Latest news with #BocaChica
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mexico Threatens SpaceX Lawsuit After Texas Explosion
Mexico's president is threatening a lawsuit against American innovation — again. This time, it's Elon Musk's SpaceX that's in the crosshairs, after a recent rocket explosion at the company's Starbase launch site near Boca Chica, Texas. The site, located just miles from the southern border shared with Mexico, has become a symbol of both cutting-edge space technology and international friction. During a press conference on Wednesday, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her administration is reviewing alleged 'contamination' from debris that crossed into Mexico during a test failure last week, per The Guardian. The explosion, which occurred during a routine ground test of the Starship system — as previously covered by The Dallas Express — sent a fireball into the sky, a spectacle that has become a fairly routine part of developing powerful next-generation rockets. 'Just a scratch,' Musk posted to X after the explosion. Sheinbaum claims that the fallout violates international law and says her government is preparing 'the necessary lawsuits' to hold SpaceX accountable. However, U.S. officials, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) — have already reviewed environmental concerns surrounding the program. As recently as May, the FAA approved an increase in annual launches from five to 25, saying that the launch activity would not pose significant environmental threats, including to wildlife along the Gulf Coast. The rhetoric from Mexico's president appears to be following a familiar pattern. In May, Sheinbaum's government said it was suing Google over labeling in its Maps application, after the tech company allegedly renamed the 'Gulf of Mexico' the 'Gulf of America' for some users. SpaceX, which employs thousands in South Texas and draws global attention to the Lone Star State's emerging role in space exploration, has not commented publicly on the potential lawsuit as of time of publication. Still, Texans watching this latest dispute may see it as yet another example of foreign leaders targeting American companies for political leverage. For now, SpaceX continues to push forward with development — even if the 'path to Mars' Musk dreams of seems to draw critics from outsiders, or legal heat from Mexico's leaders. As previously reported by DX, earlier this week a multinational team of four private astronauts successfully reached the International Space Station, completing a landmark mission by Houston-based Axiom Space in collaboration with SpaceX. Launched Wednesday aboard SpaceX's new Dragon capsule nicknamed 'Grace' from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the crew docked with the ISS after a 28-hour journey. SpaceX confirmed the docking in a video post, celebrating the mission's smooth arrival.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mexico threatens lawsuit against SpaceX over Starship explosion 'contamination'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum has threatened to file a lawsuit against SpaceX over what the leader described as "contamination" following an explosion at SpaceX's Starbase facility earlier this month. On June 18, SpaceX was testing the upper stage of its Starship vehicle on a test stand at its Starbase site near Boca Chica Beach in Texas when Starship exploded in a dramatic fireball. SpaceX wrote on social media that there were no hazards to the surrounding communities following the explosion. But Sheinbaum contests that claim. In a press conference held on Wednesday (June 25), the Mexican president said there is a "general review underway of the international laws that are being violated" due to the fact that "there is contamination" stemming from Starship's explosion, according to Yucatan Magazine. The Guardian reports that Sheinbaum added that her government is looking to file "the necessary lawsuits" over the alleged contamination. SpaceX's Starbase testing and manufacturing facility is located near Boca Chica Beach. The area is at the very southeastern tip of Texas along the Rio Grande river, which divides the United States and Mexico. The Mexican city of Heroica Matamoros sits just across the border from Boca Chica and nearby Brownsville, Texas. This isn't the first time SpaceX has been threatened with environmental lawsuits, not to mention other legal cases. A coalition of environmental groups sued the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2023, claiming the agency did not conduct proper analyses of the damage Starship could cause to the surrounding areas, which are home to protected species of birds. In 2024, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) reported that SpaceX had violated the Clean Water Act after releasing pollutants into nearby body of waters, according to CNBC. SpaceX refuted the claims, calling the reporting "factually inaccurate." Starship launches — and explosions — have left significant amounts of debris throughout Boca Chica Beach and surrounding areas in the past. When Starship launched on its debut flight on April 20, 2023, the rocket's 33 first-stage Raptor engines sent chunks of cement and other debris flying for miles. Local residents described the launch as "terrifying" and compared it to an earthquake. Pieces of debris rained down in every direction, even crushing a nearby car. That flight ended in an equally dramatic fashion when SpaceX triggered its onboard flight termination system, causing the vehicle to explode some three minutes after liftoff. Fragments of the Starship vehicle were found along shores surrounding the area in the days following the flight. Starship's upper stage has exploded and/or crashed into the sea on eight of its nine of its test flights to date (on two launches, the company managed to return the vehicle's Super Heavy booster to Starbase, where it was caught by the 'chopstick' arms on its launch tower). On its fifth flight in November 2023, Starship managed to make a pinpoint splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Science
- Russia Today
Musk's SpaceX faces legal action over rocket debris
Elon Musk's SpaceX is facing a potential lawsuit after debris from a failed Starship launch was scattered along Mexico's Gulf Coast, sparking environmental concerns and prompting a legal review by the Mexican government. President Claudia Sheinbaum told a press conference on Wednesday that officials were evaluating possible breaches of international law after parts of the rocket booster exploded over the Gulf of Mexico and washed ashore in the state of Tamaulipas. 'There is indeed contamination,' Sheinbaum told reporters. 'The general review is being made – what international laws are being violated – and from there, we will initiate a process.' The incident stems from a June 18 test launch at SpaceX's Boca Chica facility in Texas, when the Starship exploded into what was described as an enormous fireball. After liftoff, the booster detached and broke up during reentry, sending fragments – including rubber, plastic, silicone, metal tubing, and cooling tanks – into the sea. Some of it later drifted ashore near Matamoros, a coastal city in northeastern Mexico, alarming the local authorities and conservationists. No injuries were reported, and SpaceX said there were 'no hazards' to nearby communities. Musk downplayed the blast in a brief post on X, calling it 'just a scratch.' In May, US regulators approved boosting annual Starship launches from five to 25, dismissing warnings from conservationists that the increase could harm sea turtles and coastal wildlife. Environmental groups have reportedly warned that micro-debris now embedded across more than 40km of coastline poses a serious threat to wildlife, particularly the endangered olive ridley sea turtle. While cleanup crews have removed larger debris, Mexican environmental agencies say the priority now is locating and mitigating micro-particles. Inspectors have been taking samples from beaches and nearby waters. In one case, a metal cylinder from the rocket was found lodged in a tree. The company, which is owned by the South African-born billionaire who aims to send people to Mars, has come under growing scrutiny over the environmental toll of its Starship program, in which explosive test failures have become routine. The incident adds to tensions between Mexico and major US tech companies. In May, Sheinbaum's government sued Google over renaming the Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America', in line with an executive order from US President Donald Trump.
Digital Trends
20-06-2025
- Science
- Digital Trends
These 6 rocket explosions show how SpaceX likes to roll
The upper-stage of SpaceX's next-generation Starship rocket exploded in a massive fireball at its Starbase facility near Boca Chica, Texas, on Wednesday night. No one was hurt in the incident. The vehicle was being prepared for the 10th flight test of the most powerful rocket in the world, which also includes the first-stage Super Heavy booster. Recommended Videos The dramatic explosion highlights SpaceX's bold, iterative approach to rocket testing that views anomalies as a learning opportunity rather than an outright failure. Instead of relying solely on simulations or lengthy design reviews, the spaceflight company — founded by Elon Musk in 2002 — prefers to rapidly build and test rocket parts, using gathered data to refine future designs. The approach means that spectacular events like the one involving the Starship on Wednesday are to be expected. SpaceX's controversial approach is designed to accelerate development by uncovering complex issues early on. It's important to note that almost all of the tests are uncrewed and designed to minimize risk while maximizing insight to push a project forward. In stark contrast, NASA prioritizes safety and reliability, while also considering potential political challenges, especially after past disasters like those involving the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia. The different approach means that NASA's development cycles are slower and more cautious, with strict oversight and procurement rules that make rapid iteration difficult. Unlike SpaceX, the U.S. space agency doesn't aim to move fast or mass-produce rockets, instead focusing on things like long-term research and human safety. Critics have argued that SpaceX's so-called 'fail fast, learn faster' approach poses risks to both safety and the environment, especially when testing near populated areas or delicate ecosystems. Some worry that moving so fast could also put workers at risk and make it harder for regulators to ensure safety. Whether you like its approach or not, SpaceX seems intent on continuing as usual, learning what it can when it all goes wrong. Below are six videos demonstrating just how SpaceX likes to roll … Starship, 2025 First up, the spectacular explosion that destroyed a Starship rocket on June 18, 2025. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk described the incident as 'just a scratch.' Falcon 9, 2016 The Falcon 9 rocket is now SpaceX's workhorse vehicle, carrying out almost all of its missions to orbit, including crewed flights to and from the International Space Station. But it wasn't always so reliable. This incident happened during a routine static-fire test of the Falcon 9 rocket, which was preparing to launch a communications satellite. Starship, 2021 In high-altitude testing of the upper-stage Starship spacecraft, the vehicle reached an altitude of about 6.2 miles (10 km). But after successfully performing several planned maneuvers during its six-minute entirely solo flight, the vehicle didn't slow down enough and failed to achieve the correct orientation for landing. Falcon 9, 2015 This Falcon 9 rocket exploded about two minutes after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida, destroying a Dragon cargo ship bound for the space station. The failure was put down to a faulty steel strut in the liquid oxygen tank that broke under stress, causing a helium vessel to break free and rupture the tank. Starship, 2023 During the Starship's first-ever integrated flight test in April 2023, the rocket experienced multiple engine failures and ultimately lost control, leading to its intentional destruction before reaching orbit. Prior to launch, Musk had tempered expectations by saying the 120-meter-tall rocket only had a 50% chance of reaching orbit. Falcon 9, 2015 A key part of SpaceX's spaceflight system is the ability to reuse rockets, which means landing them back on Earth after carrying a crew or payload to orbit. While it's now perfected the maneuver with the Falcon 9's first-stage booster, there were a lot of failures in the early days. Here's one of them. A compilation of SpaceX rocket disasters In 2017, Elon Musk posted a compilation video showing numerous SpaceX rocket disasters as its engineers continued to develop the technology.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Musk On Starship Blast: 'Just a Scratch'
A dramatic explosion rocked SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, late Wednesday night. The company's newest Starship prototype erupted in flames during a 'static fire' test. No injuries were reported. According to a statement posted by SpaceX on social media, the company confirmed that the rocket, known as Ship 36 and designated for the highly anticipated tenth Starship test flight, suffered a 'major anomaly' while still secured on the test stand around 11 p.m. local time. 'A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for. Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities,' SpaceX continued. The explosion, captured live on several webcams run by various enthusiasts, including a clear video post by X user 'ai_for_success', was shared across social media, eliciting a spectrum of reactions ranging from concern and questions to sheer awe. Another clip shared by the Cameron County Constable Precinct 1 Office showed thick smoke billowing from the Texas test site as startled observers reacted in real time. Starship is, or was, SpaceX's next-generation heavy-lift rocket system — a crucial part of Elon Musk's plans for long-range space missions, including potential crewed flights to the Moon and Mars. Wednesday's explosion marks another setback in the Starship development timeline, though SpaceX has consistently emphasized a test-heavy, fail-forward approach. CEO Elon Musk appeared unfazed by the starships' explosion, taking to X early Thursday morning to post a brief comment: 'Just a scratch.' Explosive test failures have long been part of the company's development plan and have eventually produced historic successes like the Falcon 9 reusable rockets, as previously covered by DX. With its huge modern stainless-steel frame and ability to carry humans and cargo beyond Earth's orbit, SpaceX and its Starship launches remain a leader of America's private-sector space exploration, even if the journey includes some fiery missteps. The missteps themselves, even explosive launches, can offer crucial failure data or other extreme testing limits to Musk and his team. Therefore, they are not a failure but more of a research run. SpaceX has yet to confirm the extent of the damage to the test site and launchpad or when launch operations will resume as of Thursday afternoon.
