Environmental organizations have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) concerning SpaceX's Starship rocket launch last month. The massive rocket, the most powerful ever built, took off from SpaceX's privately-owned spaceport in South Texas on April 20 and exploded over the Gulf of Mexico approximately four minutes into the flight.

The legal action, submitted on Monday in a Washington, DC federal court, claims that the FAA allowed the launch without adhering to crucial federal environmental regulations, without fully examining the considerable environmental and community consequences of SpaceX's launch program, and without mandating adequate mitigation to counterbalance those impacts. The lawsuit highlights that the launch area is critical habitat for federally protected species, including the endangered ocelot.

The FAA, which is responsible for licensing commercial rocket launches, has not commented on the ongoing litigation. The agency approved the SpaceX launch attempt after more than a year of discussions. The FAA is also tasked with managing the investigation into the root cause of the Starship's failed test flight last month. Such inquiries are standard procedure and have occurred following earlier, smaller-scale Starship test launches in South Texas.

Jared Margolis, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, emphasized the importance of safeguarding life on Earth as we explore space in this new era of spaceflight. The US Fish and Wildlife Service stated last week that it is collaborating with SpaceX, the FAA, and other relevant parties to minimize further impacts and reduce long-term damages to natural resources.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, speaking during a Twitter Spaces conversation on Saturday evening, stated that he believes SpaceX would be technologically prepared to launch Starship on another test flight within six to eight weeks. When asked about potential legal consequences from environmental groups, Musk maintained that there has not been any significant damage to the environment.

Question: What are the environmental groups' concerns regarding the SpaceX Starship rocket launch? Answer: The environmental groups allege that the FAA allowed the launch without adhering to crucial federal environmental regulations, without fully examining the considerable environmental and community consequences of SpaceX's launch program, and without mandating adequate mitigation to counterbalance those impacts. They also claim that the launch area is critical habitat for federally protected species, including the endangered ocelot.