Boca Chica

In the lawsuit, the groups accuse TCEQ of exceeding its authority by allowing the discharges.

Billionaire Elon Musk's company on Thursday has sent a letter to local officials requesting an election to turn what it calls Starbase into an incorporated city. Starbase is the South Texas site where SpaceX builds and launches its massive Starship rockets.

Starship launched from Boca Chica for the sixth time. But the booster capture stage of the mission was canceled, and the booster splashed into the Gulf of Mexico.

The proposal would allow up to 25 annual Starship and Super Heavy orbital launches.

SpaceX is currently seeking approval from the FAA to begin launching 25 times per year from the Rio Grande Valley and land its Super Heavy booster right on the beach launch tower, rather than into the Gulf of Mexico.

On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced public meetings on a draft environmental assessment of the company — the next step in SpaceX’s drive to increase Superheavy orbital launches to more than twice a month.

In a letter, Cameron County's judge said giving SpaceX 43 acres of Boca Chica State Park was in the interest of 'safeguarding' the land.

With more Starship tests and launches expected soon, environmentalists were concerned over the shorebirds' safety.

Starship is the largest rocket ever built. The company hopes it will one day take people to the moon and Mars. But first it has to fly.

O’Rourke told TPR he has met with local officials, including Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez and Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, and he believes a balance can be struck between economic growth and environmental protection.