Space and Tech

The Starbase rocket testing facility is permanently changing the landscape of southern Texas

Published

2 months ago

January 20, 2025

The Conversation

SpaceX has reshaped the landscape around Boca Chica, Texas. Robert Kopack

Robert A. Kopack, University of South Carolina

If there is a leader in the aerospace industry, SpaceX is it. The company’s Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon spacecrafts are the current go-to vehicles to deliver astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station.

NASA contracts awarded to SpaceX through 2030 alone are worth nearly US$5 billion and include research and development for the Artemis mission to return astronauts to the Moon.

Over the past decade, SpaceX has also emerged as a key vendor to the U.S. Department of Defense, seen most recently with a $733.5 million contract for projects such as launching defense satellite networks and contributing to other national security space objectives.

As a human geographer, I’m interested in how commercial space and defense companies affect the local communities where they conduct launches and tests.

For instance, I spent over two years in Kazakhstan researching the privatization of the Soviet space program and the beginning of a global commercial space industry.

Elon Musk and SpaceX’s influence

Politically, SpaceX is an enormous boon to the United States.

As a U.S.-based defense supplier and contractor, the company’s technology has helped to nearly end an almost two-decade dependency on the Russian Federation for access to the International Space Station. Its billionaire CEO, Elon Musk, has even expressed plans to colonize Mars.

Musk’s decision to spend $250 million helping Donald Trump win the 2024 presidential election is expected to lead to more support for SpaceX.

In the new administration, Musk is poised to lead a newly created advisory agency called the Department of Government Efficiency, which could lead to benefits for his business and widen his space ambitions.

Boca Chica, Texas, is home to SpaceX’s flagship assembly and test installation, Starbase. Since 2021, I have been conducting research with environmental groups and multigenerational community members of Latino and Indigenous descent in south Texas who see space exploration as a landscape-altering industry that affects their well-being.

After watching Starbase’s development proceed since 2014, locals there told me that there is much unseen and unsaid about what happens on the ground while an aerospace giant shoots for the stars.

Breaking eggs to make an omelet

Starbase is an industrial installation built by SpaceX to fabricate and test a number of the company’s rocket types.

The area around it is a unique and delicate ecosystem that includes estuaries and coastal grasslands, mud flats and more, where falcons, hawks, ravens, gulls and songbirds live.

Since construction began, SpaceX engineers have had to drain water-logged soils, level them and pour concrete to support ground tracking stations, assembly buildings, engine test stands, a nearly 500-foot (152-meter) launch tower and onsite fuel mixing and storage.

In a lengthy response to local environmental groups’ claims of environmental abuses, the company maintains that it is dedicated to environmental stewardship.

But developing rockets is a dangerous and messy business. Sites chosen for this kind of work are often, though not always, remote and highly secured installations.

Fiery explosions on the ground or in the air aren’t unheard of over the past several years. Rocket tests in Scotland, China and Japan have all ended in accidents.

In April 2023, one of SpaceX’s prototype Starship rockets exploded over the Gulf of Mexico shortly after liftoff.

This is not the only time that a rocket has exploded at places where SpaceX operates.

SpaceX runs a compact though growing operation at Boca Chica that has transformed the area. The hamlet was previously known as Kopernik Shores, and SpaceX purchased nearly all of the approximately 35 ranch homes in the area. Some residents have reported pressure to sell their property for suboptimal prices following rumors that the county would use eminent domain to seize their residences.

I spoke to Rebekah Hinojosa, a local activist and member of the Carrizo-Comecrudo Tribe of Texas, while researching in the area. To many locals, including Hinojosa, it seems like Musk is so well connected that SpaceX is insulated from public criticism.

In a 2018 press conference, Musk said, “We’ve got a lot of land with no one around, and so if it blows up, it’s cool,” referring to a rocket he planned to test at Starbase.

Changes to the landscape

An installation the size of Starbase cannot avoid disturbing the wildlife in the four distinct state and federal wildlife protection areas that surround it.

If you walk through the protected areas you may see shrapnel, segments of rocket chassis and other random debris from any number of explosions – that is, if someone else hasn’t picked them up first.

In December 2022, I visited a luxury campground near Starbase. It displayed various fragments of rocket debris, which they called memorabilia to the new space age, throughout the site.

Within SpaceX, as well as NASA, the explosion of 2023 was celebrated as a crucial step in developing the Starship rocket. The event did produce valuable data on the rocket’s performance – it has done little to tarnish the company’s reputation.

There is tremendous support for SpaceX in Texas. The company has promised to drive high-tech industry jobs into a region ranked among the country’s poorest.

SpaceX has created about 2,100 jobs. However, reporting shows that local and state politicians have seen more personal gains in their real estate holdings and campaign budgets than the region’s economy has overall.

A mural of Elon Musk's in Brownsville, Texas face reflects the public support he has in many Texas communities. — A mural of Elon Musk in Brownsville, Texas. Robert Kopack

A laboratory near the community

At the end of the day, to develop a rocket, you need a place to test your design.

“Our local beach is the laboratory,” local activist Hinojosa told me.

Resident coalitions of Indigenous, Latino and Chicano people as well as conservation groups are suing the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Federal Aviation Administration and others to combat SpaceX.

These groups argue that SpaceX misled state and federal regulators about Starbase’s operations. They claim SpaceX changed how frequently it planned to launch tests and built new facilities for several rocket types, which rendered the company’s original environmental impact statement for the area inaccurate.

Some key issues these groups are fighting against include a bid to expand Starbase into more protected areas. Another point of contention is the deluge system, which creates thousands of gallons of toxic wastewater to cool launch pads and rocket engines after testing.

While the EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have notified SpaceX about violations of the Clean Water Act, claimants in a recent lawsuit contend that these agencies have not held the company accountable for breaking the law. The company has denied any wrongdoing and refutes claims of environmental harms.

“As we have built up capacity to launch and developed new sites across the country, we have always been committed to public safety and mitigating impacts to the environment,” a SpaceX statement reads. “The list of measures we take just for operations in Texas is over two hundred items long, including constant monitoring and sampling of the short and long-term health of local flora and fauna. The narrative that we operate free of, or in defiance of, environmental regulation is demonstrably false.”

So, what does the future hold? Many people from conservation agencies, activist groups and Indigenous communities in Texas want the company out. Given the high public support for space exploration in the U.S. and the burgeoning friendship between Musk and Trump, a SpaceX evacuation from the area seems unlikely.

While it may take difficult negotiations that require concessions from each party, I hope that somewhere there is a middle ground on which space exploration and environmental protections can coexist.

This article was updated on Jan. 17, 2024 to reflect the amount of money Musk spent helping Trump win the 2024 election as $250 million and the correct speed of light.

Robert A. Kopack, Faculty Instructor of Human Geographies, University of South Carolina

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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NASA Provides Live Coverage of Crew-9 Return and Splashdown

Published

2 weeks ago

March 17, 2025

Rod Washington

NASA Crew-9 — NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 members pose together for a portrait inside the vestibule between the International Space Station and the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft. Clockwise from left, are NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Suni Williams, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
NASA

NASA is set to offer live coverage of the much-anticipated return of its SpaceX Crew-9 mission from the International Space Station (ISS). The event will commence with preparations for the Dragon spacecraft’s hatch closure at 10:45 p.m. EDT on Monday, March 17.

In a proactive move, NASA and SpaceX convened on Sunday to evaluate the weather and splashdown conditions off Florida’s coast in preparation for the Crew-9 mission return. Thanks to favorable weather forecasts for Tuesday evening, March 18, mission managers are targeting an earlier return opportunity. This adjustment serves to allow the onboard crew ample time to complete their handover duties while also providing operational flexibility in anticipation of less favorable weather later in the week.

The Crew-9 mission features NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. These skilled astronauts have been conducting a long-duration science expedition aboard the ISS and will bring back critical time-sensitive research to Earth.

As the launch nears, mission managers will continue to monitor weather conditions, which will play a pivotal role in the undocking process. Factors such as spacecraft readiness, recovery team preparedness, and sea states will all influence the timing and location of the splashdown. NASA and SpaceX will finalize and communicate the specific splashdown site as the Crew-9 return approaches.

For those interested in following along, you can watch the Crew-9 return activities live on NASA+. Additional viewing options, including various social media platforms, are also available. Schedule information can be found at NASA Live.

Here’s a timeline of the upcoming live coverage (all times EDT and subject to change):

Monday, March 17

10:45 p.m. – Hatch closing coverage begins on NASA+

Tuesday, March 18

12:45 a.m. – Undocking coverage begins on NASA+
1:05 a.m. – Undocking

Following the undocking coverage, there will be an audio-only feed. Assuming favorable weather conditions at the splashdown sites, continuous coverage will resume on NASA+ before the deorbit burn.

4:45 p.m. – Return coverage begins on NASA+
5:11 p.m. – Deorbit burn (approximate time)
5:57 p.m. – Splashdown (approximate time)

Following the splashdown, there will be a Return-to-Earth media conference at 7:30 p.m. on NASA+, featuring key participants, including:

Joel Montalbano, Deputy Associate Administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate
Steve Stich, Manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
Jeff Arend, Manager for Systems Engineering and Integration, NASA’s International Space Station Office
Sarah Walker, Director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX

Mark your calendars and prepare to witness this exciting milestone in space exploration as NASA’s Crew-9 mission returns home!

Find full mission coverage, NASA’s commercial crew blog, and more information about the Crew-9 mission at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

The science section of our news blog STM Daily News provides readers with captivating and up-to-date information on the latest scientific discoveries, breakthroughs, and innovations across various fields. We offer engaging and accessible content, ensuring that readers with different levels of scientific knowledge can stay informed. Whether it’s exploring advancements in medicine, astronomy, technology, or environmental sciences, our science section strives to shed light on the intriguing world of scientific exploration and its profound impact on our daily lives. From thought-provoking articles to informative interviews with experts in the field, STM Daily News Science offers a harmonious blend of factual reporting, analysis, and exploration, making it a go-to source for science enthusiasts and curious minds alike. https://stmdailynews.com/category/science/

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Touchdown! Firefly’s Blue Ghost Successfully Lands on the Moon

Published

4 weeks ago

March 2, 2025

Rod Washington

Moon Landing

In a significant milestone for space exploration, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 made a successful landing on the Moon at 3:34 a.m. EST on Sunday. Positioned near the volcanic feature of Mons Latreille within Mare Crisium, a vast basin exceeding 300 miles in diameter, this event marks a pivotal moment in NASA’s initiatives concerning lunar exploration.

This successful moon landing represents the first delivery under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative for Firefly Aerospace, and it adds another achievement to the Artemis campaign aimed at returning humans to the Moon. The Blue Ghost lander now rests upright and stable on the lunar surface, ready to begin its suite of scientific operations.

The Blue Ghost craft is carrying ten cutting-edge NASA science and technology instruments designed to perform a variety of functions over approximately one lunar day, which translates to about 14 Earth days. Acting Administrator Janet Petro highlighted the importance of this mission, stating, “This incredible achievement demonstrates how NASA and American companies are leading the way in space exploration for the benefit of all.” The lessons learned from this mission will enhance future safety protocols for scientific exploration on the Moon and beyond.

Following its launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on January 15, the Blue Ghost traveled over 2.8 million miles. During this journey, it downlinked more than 27 gigabytes of data while conducting several critical science operations. One notable achievement included signal tracking from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) at a record distance of 246,000 miles, validating the potential for similar positioning systems to be used effectively on the Moon.

Nicky Fox, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters, emphasized the significance of this mission in laying the groundwork for future human presence on the Moon: “The science and technology we send to the Moon now helps prepare the way for future NASA exploration and long-term human presence to inspire the world for generations to come.”

The instruments aboard the Blue Ghost will perform a variety of tasks during their lunar surface operations, including testing advanced drilling technology, collecting regolith samples, and developing lunar dust mitigation strategies. The insights gained from these experiments will contribute to our understanding of how space weather and cosmic forces interact with Earth.

As operations continue, the team intends to capture stunning imagery of the lunar sunset and investigate the behaviors of lunar dust during dusk conditions—an occurrence previously documented by Apollo 17 astronaut Eugene Cernan. Following the lunar sunset, the lander will remain functional for several hours into the lunar night.

Firefly Aerospace’s CEO, Jason Kim, expressed gratitude to NASA for the partnership and outlined the significance of this mission. “Blue Ghost’s successful Moon landing has laid the groundwork for the future of commercial exploration across cislunar space,” he stated, adding, “We’re now looking forward to more than 14 days of surface operations to unlock even more science data that will have a substantial impact on future missions to the Moon and Mars.”

In total, five companies have been awarded 11 lunar deliveries under the CLPS initiative, propelling the lunar economy forward with over 50 instruments being sent to various lunar locations, including the lunar South Pole. With a cumulative maximum contract value of $2.6 billion through 2028, the CLPS initiative is set to revolutionize how we explore and utilize the Moon’s resources.

As we celebrate this monumental achievement, it is clear that the collaboration between NASA and companies like Firefly Aerospace is paving the way for a new era of exploration, promising exciting discoveries that will benefit our understanding of the cosmos and our own planet for generations to come.

Learn more about NASA’s CLPS initiative at:

https://www.nasa.gov/clps

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Space and Tech

Blue Origin Announces Crew for New Shepard’s 31st Mission

Exciting news! Blue Origin announces its all-female crew for New Shepard’s NS-31 mission, featuring inspiring leaders like Katy Perry and Gayle King!

Published

4 weeks ago

February 28, 2025

Rod Washington

Blue Origin has exciting news as it announces the six remarkable individuals selected to fly on the NS-31 mission, the 11th human flight of its New Shepard program. This mission, set to launch this spring, features an inspiring all-female crew comprised of Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez. These extraordinary women aim not only to explore the wonders of space but also to empower and inspire future generations.

Meet the NS-31 Crew

Aisha Bowe
Aisha is a former NASA rocket scientist and a dedicated advocate for STEM education. As the CEO of STEMBoard, she leads an engineering firm that has made waves in the industry, being recognized twice on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies. Additionally, she founded LINGO, an edtech company focused on providing tech skills to students worldwide. Inspired by her own journey from community college to space, Aisha hopes her experience will motivate young people, particularly in the Bahamas, to chase their dreams.

Amanda Nguyen
Amanda is a bioastronautics research scientist with an impressive academic background, having graduated from Harvard and conducted research at prominent institutions like MIT and NASA. She played a role in the last NASA shuttle mission and is renowned for her advocacy work for sexual violence survivors, earning her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. As the first Vietnamese and Southeast Asian woman astronaut, Amanda’s flight symbolizes a powerful reconciliation between the United States and Vietnam, using science as a pathway to peace.

Gayle King
An award-winning journalist and co-host of CBS Mornings, Gayle King has a reputation for her heartfelt interviews and thought-provoking discussions. With a career built on compassion and insight, she embraces new challenges, including being part of Blue Origin’s first all-female flight team. Gayle looks forward to stepping outside her comfort zone and experiencing the thrill of space travel.

Katy Perry
As one of the best-selling female artists of all time, Katy Perry brings her star power to the NS-31 mission. Beyond her music career, she is a passionate advocate for various philanthropic causes, serving as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Through her Firework Foundation, Katy inspires underserved children to express themselves through the arts. Being part of this historic all-female crew fills her with pride, and she hopes her journey serves as a beacon of inspiration for her daughter and all aspiring dreamers.

Kerianne Flynn
After successful careers in fashion and human resources, Kerianne Flynn dedicated the last decade to community-building and storytelling through nonprofit work and film production. Her recent projects explore crucial social themes, including women in Hollywood and fair pay advocacy. With a lifelong passion for exploration and adventure, Kerianne aims to inspire her son, Dex, and a new generation of dreamers with her flight aboard New Shepard.

Lauren Sánchez
Lauren is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and licensed helicopter pilot. As Vice Chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, she is committed to addressing pressing climate issues. In 2016, she founded Black Ops Aviation, the first female-owned aerial film and production company. Her children’s book, The Fly Who Flew to Space, became a New York Times bestseller. Lauren’s goal is to motivate the next generation of explorers to reach for the stars.

A Historic Mission

The NS-31 mission is a remarkable milestone for Blue Origin, being the first all-female flight crew since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963. This mission marks the 31st flight in New Shepard’s history, with the program having successfully flown 52 individuals above the Kármán line, the globally recognized boundary of space.

Read the press release: https://www.blueorigin.com/fr-FR/news/new-shepard-ns-31-mission

As anticipation builds for the upcoming launch, we celebrate these extraordinary women and their commitment to breaking barriers and inspiring future generations to follow their dreams. For those interested in flying on a future New Shepard mission, additional details can be found at BlueOrigin.com/New-Shepard/Fly.

Stay tuned for more updates as we approach this exciting launch!

Source: Blue Origin