The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) arranged a Monday hearing for public citizens to raise their concerns about the Starship. The hearing took place at the Boca Chica, Texas facility.
Three minutes were given to each person to voice their opinions on Musk’s facility. Mostly, people were appreciative of SpaceX. However, some of them raised objections too. For example, Sharon Wilcox, a representative in Texas for a conservation nonprofit, called Defenders of Wildlife stated that the group was “deeply concerned about the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts” of the oft-explosive launches, including “unplanned fires, debris fall, and debris removal,” according to comments reported by CNET.
Another spokesperson was Sharon Almaguer, who lives near the new SpaceX launch site stated that “This is a project that is profoundly going to change our area,” said Almaguer, in the Ars Technica report. “Please do your job and stop it.” These and other statements raised during the hearing were critical of SpaceX, but most weren’t, especially the ones from people who didn’t even live in Texas. “Essentially, it’s humanity living off the planet, and it’s very important for us to do that,” said one person.
“Some piping plovers may have to move but there are always trade-offs,” said another speaker named Dan Elton. Commissioner Jessica Tetreau from a nearby town called Brownsville concluded the hearing by stating that, “I don’t just ask you, I beg you to give them that permit,” she said regarding the FAA’s pending permits for the aerospace company’s new launches.
The final hearing will be on Wednesday, 6:00 PM EDT. The hearings and the FAA’s further assessment will be the final step for the functioning of the company’s Boca Chica site. Anyone interested in registering to attend may do so, and offer a comment online, or simply submit their take via email.