- Blue Origin raises environmental concerns over SpaceX’s rocket launches.
- Musk accuses Bezos’ company of impeding progress, references past legal disputes.
- Residents near SpaceX launchpad report pollution.
Blue Origin’s beef
Jeff Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin, recently expressed concerns over the environmental impacts of SpaceX’s rocket launches on nearby facilities in a filing to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The company recommended imposing a cap on the Starship-Super Heavy mega-rocket’s launch, landing, and other operations to minimize the impact on the local environment, personnel, and community.
Musk Claps back: “not cool, Bezos!”
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, responded to Blue Origin’s concerns on X (formerly Twitter), calling it an “obviously disingenuous response” and accusing the company of trying to impede SpaceX’s progress by lawfare for the third time.
Musk took a jab at the company’s name, saying, “Sue Origin,” and mentioned two previous disputes between SpaceX and Blue Origin in 2013 and 2014.
This is not the first time environmental concerns have been raised about SpaceX’s rocket launches.
In 2021, residents of Brownsville, Texas, reported that rocket explosions at a nearby SpaceX launchpad were a source of environmental pollution, littering ecosystems home to endangered species and migratory birds.
Both SpaceX and Blue Origin have not immediately responded to requests for comment from Business Insider.