Aerospace technology company Blue Origin filed a comment with the Federal Aviation Administration last week urging the regulatory agency to put a cap on launches from rival rocket maker SpaceX due to environmental concerns. According to Blue Origin, owned by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, SpaceX’s Starship-Super Heavy launches are having an adverse effect on the “local environment and community” of Cape Canaveral, Florida—but according to SpaceX owner Elon Musk, the complaint is nothing more than “lawfare” to impede his company’s progress.

First observed by eagle-eyed social media users including Tesla investor Sawyer Merritt, Blue Origin’s FAA comment recommends that the agency prepare an Environmental Impact Statement “to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of issuing a commercial launch Vehicle Operator License to SpaceX for the Starship-Super Heavy launch vehicle at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.”

The company’s interest in the EIS includes ensuring the safe transport of property and personnel, protecting the area from hazardous contamination, and mitigating damages from “debris dispersion, blast overpressure, sonic boom overpressure, explosion, fire, air quality, noise,” and other effected during the launch of SpaceX rockets.

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Blue Origin was founded by Jeff Bezos in 2000, with Musk joining the rival billionaire in the new Space Race in 2002. The two companies opened neighboring facilities at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, using the spaceport’s launch pads to test their rockets. SpaceX was able to achieve orbit in 2008 and has since launched hundreds of unmanned rockets and multiple crewed missions to the International Space Station. Blue Origin, meanwhile, has yet to achieve orbit as of 2024.

According to observers like Merritt, it is this corporate rivalry that has fueled Blue Origin’s request to “[cap] the rate of Ss-SH launch, landing, and other operations,” rather than legitimate environmental concerns.

Responding to an X post from Merritt, Musk labeled his competitor’s comment “an obviously disingenuous response.”

“Not cool of them to try (for the third time) to impede SpaceX’s progress by lawfare,” he said.

A follow-up post from Musk a short time later said simply “Sue Origin.”

No stranger to efforts to shut down his rocket launches, Musk has previously clashed with the Biden administration over similar environmental concerns in Florida and Texas. At the time, Musk attributed the scrutiny to “aspects of interests aligned with President Biden who probably do not wish good things for me.”

The full FAA comment from Blue Origin can be read below:


Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”

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