A dispute concerning SpaceX facilities and access to a nearby Texas beach is once again before the courts.
The Sierra Club and the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe of South Texas jointly appealed the 445th District Court's decision July 7 to dismiss a lawsuit concerning SpaceX testing of its next-generation Starship vehicle closing nearby Boca Chica Beach, the coalition said July 28.
In the dismissal, Judge Gloria Rincones argued there is "no private right of enforcement" concerning the beach access, according to KRGV.com (opens in new tab). The dismissal took place over the appellants' protests that closing the beach violates the Texas state constitution, along with access rights by traditional groups.
Related: 8 ways that SpaceX has transformed spaceflight
The Sierra Club's Brownsville organizer, Emma Guevara, stated the appeal is taking place because the beach is closed weekly to allow "a billionaire [to] launch deadly rockets near homes and wildlife."
Citing a fireball that briefly and unexpectedly engulfed Starship during testing July 12, Guevera said her family was "forced" to hear the noise, which "launched without any warning for the public."
None of the allegations have been proven in court, and the appeal does not name SpaceX among the entities pursued.SpaceX also did not respond to a Space.com request for comment.
The Boca Chica beach under dispute is located close to SpaceX's Starbase facility, where the next-generation Starship vehicle is being developed. A Federal Aviation Administration review in June allowed the development to continue as long as SpaceX addresses 75 matters to mitigate the environmental impact.
Not everyone agrees, however. The Sierra Club, the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe of Texas and non-profit Save RGV [Rio Grande Valley] all participated in the lawsuit alleging that restricting the beach access violates the Texas constitution.
The initial lawsuit alleged that Boca Chica Beach was closed for 196 hours, or roughly 8 days, in the first three months of 2022. In the previous year, the beach had about 600 hours, or 25 equivalent days, of closures.
Even after the lawsuit was dismissed, local residents continued to protest the beach closures, including at a unanimous vote July 14 by the Cameron County Commissioners Court to support SpaceX's Starship development, according to Texas Public Radio (opens in new tab).
Starship's team is targeting the program's first orbital flight later this year to support ambitious future plans for the program, including landing NASA astronauts on the moon and launching one of the Polaris program's private astronaut missions.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter@howellspace (opens in new tab). Follow us on Twitter@Spacedotcom (opens in new tab)and onFacebook (opens in new tab).
Read more:
SpaceX Boca Chica beach case sparks appeal after lawsuit dismissed | Space
- Push U.S. Senate to Prevent Humanitarian Disaster in Yemen and Demand Logging Ban in Koala Habitats: 10 Petitions to Sign this Week to Help People,... [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2020]
- SpaceX is looking to add an offshore rocket launch facility in south Texas - Houston Chronicle [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2020]
- Boca Chica Texas. [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2020]
- Visit Boca Chica Beach in Texas - TripSavvy [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2020]
- In South Texas Construction Started Of SpaceX Super Heavy High Bay - NationEditions [Last Updated On: July 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 11th, 2020]
- What it's like being one of the few dozen people in the park with Phillies playing - NBC Sports Philadelphia [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- SpaceX asks the FAA to launch Starship prototype to 20 kilometers - Business Insider - Business Insider [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- 6 Virtual Creative Classes to Try This Summer - D Healthcare Daily [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2020]
- Traffic stop in Brownsville results in rescue of 14-year-old runaway child - Monitor [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2020]
- Traffic stop in Brownsville results in rescue of 14-year-old runaway child - Brownsville Herald [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- Every Space Tourism Vacation You Can Book Right Now, If Youre Rich - Observer [Last Updated On: July 25th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 25th, 2020]
- The Tesla Cybertruck will be built in Texas and is getting an interplanetary update - Fox News [Last Updated On: July 26th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 26th, 2020]
- Hurricane Hanna: Live Webcams & Streams to Watch Landfall - Heavy.com [Last Updated On: July 29th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 29th, 2020]
- SpaceX May Fly A First Full-Size Prototype Of Its Mars Starship Rocket Later This Week Says Musk - Forbes [Last Updated On: July 29th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 29th, 2020]
- Twitter says a spear phishing attack led to the huge bitcoin scam - Best gaming pro [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2020]
- South Texas Beaches Inundated with Storm Surge as Hurricane Hanna Makes Landfall; Shelter to Open in San Antonio - The Weather Channel [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2020]
- SpaceX fires up Starship SN5 rocket prototype ahead of first test flight - Space.com [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2020]
- Boca Chica Texas Monthly [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2020]
- Boca Chica Loop Texas Parks & Wildlife Department [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2020]
- E Ink demos a folding e-reader that can also take notes - Best gaming pro [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2020]
- Construction for the South Port Connector begins on Monday - KGBT-TV [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2020]
- Trump says 'NASA was Closed & Dead' before he took charge. That's not true. - Space.com [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2020]
- SpaceX plans to build luxury spaceport resort in a tiny Texas town - Chron.com [Last Updated On: August 13th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 13th, 2020]
- Starlink satellites tracker UK: How to see SpaceX's Starlink over the UK this week - Daily Express [Last Updated On: August 13th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 13th, 2020]
- SpaceX is building the road to the moon and Mars in Texas | TheHill - The Hill [Last Updated On: August 13th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 13th, 2020]
- SpaceX Finally Launches Starship SN6 Prototype For A Test Flight, And That Is Made For Moon And Mars Mission - The Digital Wise [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2020]
- SpaceX is Going to Hop Starship Again This Weekend - Universe Today [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2020]
- Elon Musk says there is a 'good chance you'll die' on Mars - MSN Autos [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2020]
- SpaceX launches and lands another Starship prototype, the second flight test in under a month - CNBC [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2020]
- Musk emphasizes progress in Starship production over testing - SpaceNews [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2020]
- Chilly mornings in the forecast - Brownsville Herald [Last Updated On: October 30th, 2020] [Originally Added On: October 30th, 2020]
- Commentary: Elon Musk's recent trial spacecraft may have exploded, but we are one step closer to Mars - CNA [Last Updated On: December 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2020]
- Welcome to Texas, Elon Musk. You Dont Have to Move to Austin. - Texas Monthly [Last Updated On: December 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2020]
- Why airlines are so eager to get the Boeing 737 Max back in the air despite customer concerns - Business Insider India [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2020]
- Fireballs, spaceships and iguanas? 7 strange things that fell from the sky - Livescience.com [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2020]
- SpaceX's very big year: A 2020 filled with astronaut launches, Starship tests and more - Space.com [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2020]
- Here's what former first ladies wore on Joe Biden's Inauguration Day, from stylish jackets to symbolic suits - Business Insider India [Last Updated On: January 25th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 25th, 2021]
- Marques Brownlee details his business as a tech YouTuber and how he makes money on the platform - Business Insider India [Last Updated On: January 25th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 25th, 2021]
- SpaceX is about to run its final test of Starship SN9 before 1st launch - Livescience.com [Last Updated On: January 25th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 25th, 2021]
- SpaceX: From the Last Frontier to the Final Frontier - KGBT-TV [Last Updated On: January 30th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 30th, 2021]
- Firehawk Aerospace wants to 3-D print rocket engines and is moving to Dallas to join the space race - The Dallas Morning News [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2021]
- Elon Musk reveals Starship progress ahead of first orbital flight of Mars-bound craft - The Independent [Last Updated On: May 29th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 29th, 2021]
- Sweden Is Building a Massive Space ComplexAnd Itll Be Europes First Orbital Launch Site for Satellites - Architectural Digest [Last Updated On: May 29th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 29th, 2021]
- Boca Chica Boulevard sees over 200 accidents within the last year - KGBT-TV [Last Updated On: May 29th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 29th, 2021]
- SpaceX is causing division in Brownsville over disruption, economic impact - Business Insider [Last Updated On: May 29th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 29th, 2021]
- A Serene Shore Resort, Except for the SpaceX Ball of Fire - The New York Times [Last Updated On: May 29th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 29th, 2021]
- The last decade in space: NASA, SpaceX and more - The Verge [Last Updated On: November 2nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: November 2nd, 2021]
- SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Wants to Spend $50 Billion To Bring Humanity to Mars - Science Times [Last Updated On: November 2nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: November 2nd, 2021]
- Mechazilla is Getting its Arms. Now it can Catch Starships! - Universe Today [Last Updated On: November 2nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: November 2nd, 2021]
- Why YouTube wants to get into the NFT business - Protocol [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2022] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2022]
- Will Elon Musk Build a Tunnel Loop in San Antonio? - Government Technology [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2022] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2022]
- Big tech conferences arent coming back - Protocol [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2022] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2022]
- Elon Musks Starbase in Texas sits on land once pitched to Chicago Polish retirees by Polish radios John C - Chicago Sun-Times [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2022] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2022]
- Texas Gov. Abbott Vows to Fight for SpaceX to Launch From Boca Chica Parabolic Arc - Parabolic Arc [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2022] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2022]
- Kids space camp to launch in the RGV - KVEO-TV [Last Updated On: May 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: May 12th, 2022]
- SpaceX: 5G expansion could kill US Starlink broadband - The Register [Last Updated On: June 29th, 2022] [Originally Added On: June 29th, 2022]
- EarthSky | Fate of SpaceX Starbase in Boca Chica soon [Last Updated On: June 29th, 2022] [Originally Added On: June 29th, 2022]
- Teslas next Texas move: A lithium refinery on the Gulf Coast? - The Dallas Morning News [Last Updated On: September 16th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 16th, 2022]
- The Space X Starbase Is Shaping the Community Around it - Jalopnik [Last Updated On: September 16th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 16th, 2022]
- Box It Up This Company's Technology Is Aimed At Making Housing Affordable - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: October 19th, 2022] [Originally Added On: October 19th, 2022]
- EXCLUSIVE: SpaceX closing South Texas public beach for entire workweek ... [Last Updated On: October 19th, 2022] [Originally Added On: October 19th, 2022]
- The World's First Space Tourist Plans a Return TripThis Time to the Moon - Yahoo News [Last Updated On: October 19th, 2022] [Originally Added On: October 19th, 2022]
- SpaceX: Where Elon Musk's Rocket Facilities Are Located, What They Do [Last Updated On: October 19th, 2022] [Originally Added On: October 19th, 2022]
- Boca Chica - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: October 19th, 2022] [Originally Added On: October 19th, 2022]
- Jeff Bezos' Housekeeper Says She Had to Climb Out the Window to Use the Bathroom [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- AOC Says Her Twitter Account Broke After She Made Fun of Elon Musk [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- That "Research" About How Smartphones Are Causing Deformed Human Bodies Is SEO Spam, You Idiots [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Hackers Just Took Down One of the World's Most Advanced Telescopes [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Chinese Spaceplane Releases Mystery Object Into Orbit [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- NASA Sets Launch Date for Mission to $10 Quintillion Asteroid [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Scientists Spot "Stripped, Pulsating Core" of Star Caused By Horrific Accident [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Huge Drone Swarm to Form Giant Advertisement Over NYC Skyline [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Elon Musk Meeting With Advertisers, Begging Them Not to Leave Twitter [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- US Gov to Crack Down on "Bossware" That Spies On Employees' Computers [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- There's Something Strange About How These Stars Are Moving, Scientists Say [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- China Plans to Send Monkeys to Space Station to Have Sex With Each Other [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Cats May Be Tampering With Crime Scenes, Scientists Say [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Scientists Found a Way to Control How High Mice Got on Cocaine [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Scientists Use Actual Lunar Soil Sample to Create Rocket Fuel [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Twitter Working on Plan to Charge Users to Watch Videos [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]