SpaceX and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are seeking to dismiss a lawsuit initiated by five environmental and Indigenous groups challenging the approval of the space company's Starship rocket program. The FAA and SpaceX contend that the plaintiffs do not possess the legal standing required to present their case, according to court documents filed on Friday.
The lawsuit, initiated on May 1 by the Center for Biological Diversity, the American Bird Conservancy, the SurfRider Foundation, Save Rio Grande Valley, and the Carrizo-Comecrudo Nation of Texas, claims the FAA acted inappropriately by not conducting a thorough environmental study on the probable impacts of SpaceX activities. They argue the FAA should have ascertained the potential consequences before permitting SpaceX to launch from its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.