Federal environmental groups have intensified their legal fight against a land swap that would expand SpaceX’s Texas launch site by over 700 acres of protected wildlife refuge, following a judge’s refusal to halt the deal. The ruling denied a request for an injunction, citing insufficient evidence that the expansion would further harm the already altered Gulf Coast ecosystem near existing rocket operations. While the Trump-era decision now proceeds, conservationists insist they will press ahead with their challenge in court. The dispute underscores ongoing tensions between commercial space development and environmental protections in the region.
Environmental groups vow to continue opposition to deal that would expand site for Elon Musk rocket companyA federal judge on Monday refused to block the Trump administration from giving SpaceX more than 700 acres of wildlife refuge as part of a land swap in Texas, while environmental groups vowed to continue their legal challenge.US district judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr declined the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction to prevent the parcel exchange, saying they failed to prove it would worsen ecological risks to a Gulf coast region already transformed by billionaire Elon Musk’s rocket operations. Continue reading...
