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SpaceX has been smacked by a one-two punch of lawsuits filed by hundreds of Texas residents accusing the company of damaging their homes from its frequent rocket tests.<\/p>\n
The suits, both led by the same attorneys, were filed in Cameron and McLennan counties, where SpaceX\u2019s Starbase and McGregor facilities are located. They accuse SpaceX of negligence, the San Antonio Express-News reports<\/a>, arguing that the company failed to assess the risks posed by launches of its Starship rocket.\u00a0<\/p>\n While specific homeowner\u2019s complaints\u2019 aren\u2019t mentioned \u2014 likely dampening the suit\u2019s prospects \u2014 the attorneys cite reports that the noise and vibrations from the massive spacecraft damaged their roofs and violently shattered windows and glass doors. The homes are \u201cliterally cracking under the pressure, suffering from fractured foundations, differential settlement and compromised structural integrity,\u201d one of the lawsuits claim.<\/p>\n \u201cPlaintiffs are innocent bystanders whose homes in the areas surrounding SpaceX\u2019s Starbase launch site are being repeatedly damaged by noise, vibrations, and sonic booms from SpaceX\u2019s Starship operations,\u201d the attorneys wrote.<\/p>\n Since its inaugural flight in April 2023, Starship has launched eleven times, exploding or breaking apart mid-flight<\/a> in several of them. Its inaugural flight set the destructive tone: not only did the entire rocket assembly blow up just minutes into the flight, but the company was roundly criticized by experts for its launchpad<\/a>, which didn\u2019t use industry standard measures to mitigate the powerful acoustic forces generated by the rocket\u2019s\u00a0awesome array of 33 Raptor engines. With nothing to soften the 16 million pounds of thrust blasted on its face, the concrete pad was obliterated.<\/p>\n