Environmental Concerns Over Starship Launch: SpaceX Calls Report Misleading
The aerospace company specifically addressed allegations regarding the decline of the threatened piping plover population in the area. A day after the New York Times reported growing environmental concerns in and around SpaceX’s Boca Chica Starship Super Heavy testing facility, SpaceX issued a strong rebuttal.
The Elon Musk-founded company claimed that the report contains misleading information about the company’s environmental impact at its Boca Chica, Texas site.
The aerospace company specifically addressed allegations regarding the decline of the threatened piping plover population in the area. In its statement, SpaceX asserts that the frequently cited 2021 study by Newstead and Hill, which reported a 54% decline in the piping plover population through 2021, is “outdated and unreliable.” The company points out significant flaws in the study’s methodology, including inconsistent timing of field visits and incomplete habitat surveys.
SpaceX emphasized that the presence of piping plovers in any given location is highly variable and affected by numerous factors unrelated to population size. The company also notes that piping plovers do not nest in Texas but primarily use the area for migration or wintering.
Importantly, SpaceX highlights a 2022 follow-up report by the same researchers, which reanalyzed the data and found no significant change in the piping plover population at Boca Chica over time. This updated analysis balanced the initial decreasing trend with an increase in the final year of the study.
Furthermore, SpaceX reports conducting its own nine-year monitoring program using a protocol developed with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The company’s findings, based on consistent monthly surveys over the past two years, show little to no evidence of strong trends, either increasing or decreasing, for any target species, including piping plovers.
SpaceX is already gearing up for the fifth test flight of its ambitious Starship Super Heavy spacecraft as it aims to catch the humongous boosters and land them safely this time.
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