JAKARTA - SpaceX has finally joined the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), United States (US) to fight a lawsuit filed by environmental groups.
It is known recently that the Hayati Diversity Center, which is a group of wildlife and the environment, sued the FAA over the launch of the SpaceX rocket, Starship from the Starbase facility, near Brownville in Texas, USA, on April 20.
Starship did successfully glide as high as 39 kilometers, but it didn't last long for it to explode over the Gulf of Mexico. This is due to an out-of-control self-destruction system.
Even so, no significant injuries or damage to public property were reported from rocket debris or runway debris.
A lawyer and one of the plaintiffs, Jared Margolis, said the group demanded what they considered the FAA's failure to fully consider the environmental impact of the Starship program.
According to the group, the FAA should conduct a more in-depth environmental study of the possible impact of SpaceX activity before allowing rocket launches.
They also accused SpaceX's requested mitigation of SpaceX of not being enough to avoid a harmful impact on endangered species, habitats, and tribes in areas that considered wild soil and wildlife sacred.
Moreover, they asked the court to cancel the five-year license given by the FAA to SpaceX. The FAA declined to comment.
Joining the Hayati Diversity Center in the lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in Washington, are the American Bird Conservancy, Surfrider Foundation, Save RGV (Rio Grande Valley) and Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas.
Currently, the agency oversees the investigation of the crash and has ordered all SpaceX Spacecraft to be grounded until it believes public safety will not be harmed.
Meanwhile, SpaceX says there will be many consequences for the company if the environmental group wins the lawsuit.
Such as implications for its business and finances, as well as there will be substantial damage to the national interest and possible scientific benefits from Starship.
"If the Court wins the Plaintiff, the FAA's decision can be ruled out, and further licensing of the Starship/Super Heavy Program could be significantly postponed, causing severe losses to the SpaceX business," SpaceX said in a bid to join the FAA.
In fact, SpaceX also stressed that the FAA is not sufficient to represent the company's interests, "Because it is a government institution. The FAA has direct and substantial economic interests in the outcome of this case which are not shared by the government," SpaceX said.
SpaceX founder and CEO, Elon Musk, revealed his company is ready to launch its next Starship in six to eight weeks with FAA approval.
For information, the trial was Starship's first launch. SpaceX plans to use it to send people, cargo to the Moon and Mars.
NASA wants to use Starship to transport astronauts to the lunar surface by 2025 at the earliest. This was quoted from CNBC International and The Independent, Saturday, June 17.
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