SpaceX wants to rapidly expand its current number of flights in the State of Florida so that it can continue to test its Starship rocket. SpaceX is a valuable company to this state, which has every interest in leading on spaceflight. Still, decision-makers should proceed carefully before granting the company its expansion wish.
SpaceX already has a lofty presence in Florida. The question is not should this presence continue. It is should SpaceX’s operations expand— and should Florida become an even more prominent testing ground for Starship.
The Starship is the largest rocket in the world and has exploded twice in the past two months. An early March SpaceX launch failure led to roughly 240 flights being grounded in Florida.
Spaceflight is critical to Florida’s economy, and failure is all part of the process in this trial-and-error-centered industry. At the same time, however, the state’s status as one of the top states to move to in the United States stems from a careful balance between growth and conservation. If Florida regulators lose sight of this balance, they could risk undermining the quality of life that makes Florida so attractive in the first place.
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While spaceflight is important to the Sunshine State’s treasury, tourism is even more important to the state economy. So, it is important to note that SpaceX’s Starship rocket is noisy, emitting sonic booms so loud they could cause structural damage in nearby areas. That is not to say that Starship should not be permitted to fly out of Florida, but it should at least raise questions about how frequently these rockets should be able to go off.
What’s more, the added rocket debris and launch-related pollution these launches cause — such as the raining debris that tens of thousands of Floridians saw in the sky for days on end this month — could impact Florida’s pristine coastline, making the state less attractive to visitors. The road closures that are needed to service these rocket launches could have this affect as well, as could any potential future launch failures, which could ground more flights in Florida’s major airports.
Florida’s fishermen have voiced concerns about the economic impacts they could face from SpaceX’s launch expansion plan. Shrimp and mackerel fishermen often lose access to prime fishing areas due to launch-related water closures.
Maybe the benefits to these rocket launches outweigh these potential consequences; maybe they don’t. That said, Florida’s regulators would be remiss if they did not assess this matter carefully.
If regulators do indeed decide to approve SpaceX’s Florida expansion plan, there should be healthy checks and balances in place to ensure the safety and protection of all residents. But, as of now, SpaceX is set to prepare its own Environmental Impact Study for the Florida expansion (“with the supervision of the FAA”). Florida residents deserve an impartial review.
Florida’s strength lies in its ability to balance growth with preservation. Protecting Florida’s future means being willing to ask hard questions and make tough decisions — even when they concern beloved, important companies to this state. Hopefully, the regulators in question are willing to ask such questions that the case of this launch expansion proposal. It’s the only way we can ensure that the best interests of this state are ultimately protected and upheld.
James P. Moran is a Florida-based economist. He is a professor emeritus of economics and former department chair at Russell Sage College.
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