Amazon boss Jeff Bezos has lodged a complaint with the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), trying toto limit the number of launches conducted by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Blue Origin, Bezos’s aerospace company, has urged the FAA to impose a cap on SpaceX’s Starship-Super Heavy (Ss-SH) launches.
The company cited concerns for the local environment.
Lawyers argue “Ss-SH operations are expected to have a greater environmental impact than any other launch system currently operating” nearby.
In response, Tesla’s chief executive, Elon Musk, posted on his social media platform X: “Sue Origin.”
Musk recently pulled out his own lawsuit against OpenAi over whether it was developed “for the benefit of humanity.”
Reports indicate a past SpaceX launch generated heat and pressure equivalent to a volcanic eruption.
This caused soil and sand to rain down on a nearby town.
Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career
SpaceX is currently building its Starship-Super Heavy.
The rocket is set to become the largest and most powerful launch system on Earth.
Blue Origin’s filing says the Super Heavy booster can hold an “unprecedented” 5,200 metric tonnes of liquid methane for propulsion.
Blue Origin claims this may result in “qualified distances for safety margins that potentially overlap the operational sites of other companies, the government, and the public.”
SpaceX plans to launch the Starship once every year.
In addition to the requested launch limit, Blue Origin proposed several other measures.
These include requiring SpaceX to compensate for any losses caused by their operations and to build more infrastructure around launch facilities.
