Could Mexico sue SpaceX? Debris from Starship rocket explosion prompts investigation
Billionaire Elon Musk's aggressive approach in developing SpaceX's massive Starship rocket from South Texas has led to spectacular fiery explosions time after time after time.
Now, it seems the United States' neighbors south of the border are reaching the end of their patience.
During a recent news conference, Mexico's president indicated that a lawsuit could be forthcoming if investigators determine that Musk's spaceflight company has contributed to undue pollution and marine life die-off in the country.
The announcement comes after SpaceX's Starship, which the company is developing for human spaceflight, exploded in a fiery blaze last month. The mishap occurred as the giant spacecraft was being prepared for an engine test ahead of its next launch.
While no one was injured, the explosion did cause debris to fall in the area of SpaceX's test site in South Texas near the U.S.-Mexico border.
Here's what to know about SpaceX's Starship, including the recent explosion and Mexico's ensuing legal threats.
Why did SpaceX Starship rocket explode?
On June 18, Starship unexpectedly exploded while SpaceX was preparing for an upcoming flight test. No one was hurt in the incident, which occurred as the Starship spacecraft was standing alone on the test stand prior to being mounted on top of the rocket booster.
The mishap, which SpaceX later referred to on its website as "a sudden energetic event," completely destroyed the spacecraft and ignited several fires that caused damage in the area surrounding the test stand.
While SpaceX is investigating the mishap, Musk said in a post on X that preliminary data suggested that a pressurized tank failed at the top of the rocket.
Why is Mexico threatening to sue SpaceX?
About a week later, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum announced she is considering taking legal action against SpaceX.
'We are reviewing everything related to the launching of rockets that are very close to our border,' Sheinbaum said at a news conference on Wednesday, June 25, as reported by multiple outlets, including the New York Times and Al Jazeera.
The announcement comes as Mexican officials are conducting a review of potential environmental damage in the Mexican state of Tamaulipa after debris from the exploding spacecraft rained down on its beaches.
If SpaceX violated any international laws, 'we will file any necessary claims,' Sheinbaum said.
The governor of Tamaulipas, Américo Villarreal Anaya, said authorities were examining whether 'the internationally required distances are being respected in order to have these types of facilities, so that there is no risk to urban centers,' according to reporting from the Times.
Elon's legal troubles: Advertisers want Elon Musk's X Corp lawsuit out of Wichita Falls in Texas
SpaceX: 'No hazards to the surrounding area'
SpaceX claimed on its website that the Starship explosion posed "no chemical, biological, or toxicological risks" to the surrounding inhabited areas. The assertion is one that the company reiterated on social media site X when news broke of Sheinbaum's comments.
"As previously stated, there are no hazards to the surrounding area," SpaceX wrote in a June 26 post. "And as is the case before any test, a safety zone was established around the test site and was maintained throughout the operation."
SpaceX also blamed trespassers for hindering recovery teams' efforts to retrieve debris.
What is Starbase?
The explosion occurred while SpaceX was prepping Starship for its next launch from the company's Starbase headquarters, located about 23 miles from Brownsville and about 180 miles south of Corpus Christi.
Starbase, which Texas voters in Cameron County approved in May to become its own town, has also attracted some of its own controversy. Earlier in June, commissioners with the city of Starbase voted unanimously to close several of the city's public streets to outsiders, angering longtime residents and property owners.
Environmentalists have long opposed rocket testing at Starbase in Texas
The mishap and threats of legal action also come amid growing outcry among environmental activists over how SpaceX's operations are potentially decimating regional ecosystems.
The South Texas Environmental Justice Network, which has long opposed Musk and his space program, most recently issued a statement in May condemning the Federal Aviation Administration for approving SpaceX's request to increase its Starship flight tests.
SpaceX has long refuted accusations that its rocket launches pose threats to wildlife or the environment.
What is SpaceX's Starship rocket?
Starship, regarded as the world's largest and most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, towers over SpaceX's famous Falcon 9 rocket – one of the world's most active – which stands at nearly 230 feet.
SpaceX is developing Starship to be a fully reusable transportation system, meaning both the rocket and vehicle can return to the ground for additional missions.
The Starship, standing nearly 400 feet tall when fully stacked, is due to play a pivotal role in the years ahead in U.S. spaceflight as NASA eyes a return to the moon and Musk has dreams of the first humans reaching Mars.
What other times has Starship exploded?
But the next-generation spacecraft has yet to reach orbit on any of its nine uncrewed flight tests, which began in 2023 and are visible to the public from nearby South Padre Island.
For three tests between June and November 2024, Starship flew halfway around the world at a lower suborbital trajectory before reentering Earth's atmosphere and splashing down as planned in the Indian Ocean.
Those flights have been followed by a series of setbacks after Starship's first three tests of 2025 all failed to repeat the successes of previous demonstrations.
Before the latest explosion in June, Starship's most recent demonstration came May 27 when the spacecraft spun out of control roughly halfway through its flight and disintegrated in a fireball. Though Starship was unable to achieve its most important objectives, the distance the vehicle traveled far surpassed the previous 2025 flights in January and March, when Starship exploded within minutes.
SpaceX is planning to increase the number of Starship launches after receiving key regulatory approval to conduct 25 flight tests a year. Just four Starship test missions were conducted in 2024.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
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