SpaceX denies risk of environmental contamination in Mexico

SpaceX denied that the debris from its Starship rocket, which exploded two weeks ago during a static fire test, poses a contamination risk to Mexico, a position made public after President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo said that legal action would be considered.

“As is done before any test, a safety zone was established around the test site, which was maintained throughout the operation,” was part of SpaceX's statement posted on social media.

On June 19, the rocket exploded at the company's facility in Brownsville, Texas, and in the following days, debris from the device was reported to have been sighted on beaches in Tamaulipas.

“A general review is being conducted to determine which international laws are being violated, and from there we will initiate a process, because there is indeed contamination,” Sheinbuam Pardo.

“We are reviewing everything related to the launch of rockets that are very close to our border, the impacts on the area, and within the framework of international law, we will file the necessary lawsuits,” she added.

The president said that José Merino, head of the Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency, is coordinating the work and is not only focused on the recent SpaceX incident, but on this type of activity in general.

For its part, the space company said it has requested assistance from both the local government of Tamaulipas and the federal government to recover the debris, in addition to offering resources and assistance in the cleanup efforts.

“SpaceX hopes to collaborate with the Mexican government and local authorities to achieve the prompt return of the debris,” it said.

It added that its attempts to recover the debris have been hampered “by unauthorized persons who have entered private property without permission,” although it did not specify their origin.