Mexico Threatens SpaceX Lawsuit After Texas Explosion
This time, it's Elon Musk's SpaceX that's in the crosshairs, after a recent rocket explosion at the company's Starbase launch site near Boca Chica, Texas.
The site, located just miles from the southern border shared with Mexico, has become a symbol of both cutting-edge space technology and international friction.
During a press conference on Wednesday, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her administration is reviewing alleged 'contamination' from debris that crossed into Mexico during a test failure last week, per The Guardian.
The explosion, which occurred during a routine ground test of the Starship system — as previously covered by The Dallas Express — sent a fireball into the sky, a spectacle that has become a fairly routine part of developing powerful next-generation rockets.
'Just a scratch,' Musk posted to X after the explosion.
Sheinbaum claims that the fallout violates international law and says her government is preparing 'the necessary lawsuits' to hold SpaceX accountable.
However, U.S. officials, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) — have already reviewed environmental concerns surrounding the program.
As recently as May, the FAA approved an increase in annual launches from five to 25, saying that the launch activity would not pose significant environmental threats, including to wildlife along the Gulf Coast.
The rhetoric from Mexico's president appears to be following a familiar pattern.
In May, Sheinbaum's government said it was suing Google over labeling in its Maps application, after the tech company allegedly renamed the 'Gulf of Mexico' the 'Gulf of America' for some users.
SpaceX, which employs thousands in South Texas and draws global attention to the Lone Star State's emerging role in space exploration, has not commented publicly on the potential lawsuit as of time of publication.
Still, Texans watching this latest dispute may see it as yet another example of foreign leaders targeting American companies for political leverage.
For now, SpaceX continues to push forward with development — even if the 'path to Mars' Musk dreams of seems to draw critics from outsiders, or legal heat from Mexico's leaders.
As previously reported by DX, earlier this week a multinational team of four private astronauts successfully reached the International Space Station, completing a landmark mission by Houston-based Axiom Space in collaboration with SpaceX.
Launched Wednesday aboard SpaceX's new Dragon capsule nicknamed 'Grace' from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the crew docked with the ISS after a 28-hour journey. SpaceX confirmed the docking in a video post, celebrating the mission's smooth arrival.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
11 minutes ago
- New York Post
SpaceX delivers four astronauts to the International Space Station just 15 hours after launch
SpaceX delivered a fresh crew to the International Space Station on Saturday, making the trip in a quick 15 hours. The four US, Russian and Japanese astronauts pulled up in their SpaceX capsule after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. They will spend at least six months at the orbiting lab, swapping places with colleagues up there since March. SpaceX will bring those four back as early as Wednesday. Advertisement 4 SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida heading to the International Space Station on Aug. 1, 2025. NASA via Getty Images Moving in are NASA's Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan's Kimiya Yui and Russia's Oleg Platonov — each of whom had been originally assigned to other missions. 'Hello, space station!' Fincke radioed as soon as the capsule docked high above the South Pacific. Advertisement Cardman and another astronaut were pulled from a SpaceX flight last year to make room for NASA's two stuck astronauts, Boeing Starliner test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, whose space station stay went from one week to more than nine months. Fincke and Yui had been training for the next Starliner mission. But with Starliner grounded by thruster and other problems until 2026, the two switched to SpaceX. Platonov was bumped from the Soyuz launch lineup a couple of years ago because of an undisclosed illness. 4 Three astronauts and one cosmonaut wait to board their transportation vehicles to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center on Aug. 1, 2025. Austin DeSisto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Advertisement 4 The SpaceX capsule docks with the International Space Station on Aug. 2, 2025. AP 4 The SpaceX capsule docks to the International Space station 15 hours after liftoff. AP Their arrival temporarily puts the space station population at 11. Advertisement The astronauts greeting them had cold drinks and hot food waiting for them. While their taxi flight was speedy by US standards, the Russians hold the record for the fastest trip to the space station — a lightning-fast three hours.
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
SpaceX delivers new crew to orbiting station in just 15 hours
SpaceX delivered a fresh crew to the International Space Station on Saturday, making the trip in a quick 15 hours. The four US, Russian and Japanese astronauts pulled up in their SpaceX capsule after launching from Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre. They will spend at least six months at the orbiting lab, swapping places with colleagues who have been up there since March. SpaceX will bring those four back as early as Wednesday. Moving in are Nasa's Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan's Kimiya Yui and Russia's Oleg Platonov – each of whom had been originally assigned to other missions. 'Hello, space station,' Mr Fincke radioed as soon as the capsule docked high above the South Pacific. Ms Cardman and another astronaut were pulled from a SpaceX flight last year to make room for Nasa's two stuck astronauts, Boeing Starliner test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, whose space station stay went from one week to more than nine months. Mr Fincke and Mr Yui had been training for the next Starliner mission. But with Starliner grounded by thruster and other problems until 2026, the two switched to SpaceX. Mr Platonov was bumped from the Soyuz launch line-up a couple of years ago because of an undisclosed illness. Their arrival temporarily puts the space station population at 11. The astronauts greeting them had cold drinks and hot food waiting for them. While their taxi flight was speedy by US standards, the Russians hold the record for the fastest trip to the space station – a lightning-fast three hours.
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chevron Corp (CVX) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strategic Moves and Record Production ...
Earnings: $2.5 billion or $1.45 per share. Adjusted Earnings: $3.1 billion or $1.77 per share. Organic CapEx: $3.5 billion, the lowest quarterly total since 2023. Inorganic CapEx: Approximately $200 million, primarily for lithium acreage acquisition. Cash Flow from Operations: $8.3 billion, excluding working capital. Adjusted Free Cash Flow: $4.9 billion, a 15% increase quarter-on-quarter. Production Growth: Over 40,000 barrels per day increase from last quarter. Production Guidance: Expected growth closer to the top end of 6% to 8% range, excluding Hess. Annual Run-Rate Synergies: $1 billion expected by year-end, six months ahead of schedule. Structural Cost Reductions: Targeting $2 billion to $3 billion by the end of 2026. Additional Free Cash Flow Guidance for 2026: Increased to $12.5 billion. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 1 Warning Sign with BMNM. Release Date: August 01, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Positive Points Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX) achieved a quarterly production record both in the US and worldwide, with significant growth in the Permian Basin. The company successfully acquired lithium-rich acreage in Texas and Arkansas, marking a strategic move into the lithium market. Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX) returned over $5 billion to shareholders for the 13th consecutive quarter, demonstrating strong shareholder returns. The merger with Hess was completed, adding long-term low-cost growth in Guyana and expanding the shale portfolio. Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX) expects to realize $1 billion in annual run-rate synergies from the Hess merger by the end of the year, six months ahead of schedule. Negative Points Adjusted second quarter earnings were down $760 million versus the previous quarter, impacted by lower realizations and higher depreciation. Foreign currency effects decreased earnings by $348 million, highlighting exposure to currency fluctuations. The Bakken shale portfolio, despite its expansion, is currently free cash flow negative due to significant midstream tariffs. Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX) faces challenges in exploration results, with recent years not yielding the desired outcomes. The integration of Hess assets and the associated capital requirements may increase overall CapEx in the near term. Q & A Highlights Q: Can you provide insights into the capital spend expectations for the Permian Basin in 2026 and 2027 compared to 2025? A: Mark Nelson, Vice Chairman, Executive Vice President - Strategy, Policy and Development, explained that Chevron plans to be at the lower end of the $4.5 billion to $5 billion capital spend range for 2025 due to efficiencies. The company expects to further reduce capital expenditure while increasing free cash flow in the Permian, with more details to be shared at the upcoming Investor Day. Q: How confident are you in achieving the $10 billion standalone and $2.5 billion Hess-related free cash flow targets? A: Eimear Bonner, Chief Financial Officer, Vice President, expressed high confidence in achieving these targets. The $10 billion is supported by derisked production profiles and cost reduction programs. The $2.5 billion from Hess is expected from synergies and production growth, with significant milestones already achieved. Q: What are the expected benefits of Chevron's new organizational structure? A: Mark Nelson highlighted that the new structure groups similar assets to accelerate best practices, standardizes work to leverage scale and technology, and simplifies processes to improve performance. This is expected to enhance operational execution, major project delivery, and turnaround efficiency. Q: How does Chevron view the role of tight oil in its portfolio, especially after integrating Hess? A: Michael Wirth, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, stated that tight oil now represents a significant portion of Chevron's production. The focus is shifting from growth to free cash flow generation, with the aim to maintain a balanced portfolio that supports shareholder returns. Q: Can you update us on Chevron's operations in Venezuela? A: Michael Wirth confirmed that Chevron has been operating in Venezuela for over 100 years. Recent changes in US sanctions policy will allow limited oil flows to the US, benefiting Gulf refiners. While not materially impacting third-quarter results, it will help recover some of the debt owed to Chevron. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
