Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced that her government is considering legal action against SpaceX, claiming that a recent explosion at the company’s Starbase facility in Texas caused cross-border environmental contamination.
On June 18, during a test of the Starship upper stage at SpaceX’s Boca Chica site near the U.S.–Mexico border, the vehicle exploded in a massive fireball. While SpaceX assured the public that there were “no hazards to nearby communities,” Mexican officials are disputing that claim.
Speaking at a press conference on June 25, President Sheinbaum said her administration is conducting a “general review of the international laws that are being violated,” adding, “There is contamination,” referencing debris or pollutants from the explosion. She confirmed her government is preparing to file “the necessary lawsuits,” as reported by Yucatán Magazine and The Guardian.
Concerns Over Cross-Border Impact
Boca Chica Beach, home to SpaceX’s Starbase, lies at the southeastern tip of Texas, directly across the Rio Grande from the Mexican city of Heroica Matamoros. The close proximity has raised alarms in Mexico over repeated launch failures and their potential environmental impact.
This isn’t the first time SpaceX has faced scrutiny over environmental issues. In 2023, a coalition of U.S. environmental groups sued the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), accusing it of neglecting to fully assess the risks Starship launches posed to protected ecosystems. Then, in 2024, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) reported SpaceX had violated the Clean Water Act — a claim SpaceX denied, calling the accusations “factually inaccurate.”
History of Explosive Tests
The Starship program has a mixed track record. Of its nine major test flights, eight have ended in explosions or crashes. On its debut launch in April 2023, the rocket’s 33 first-stage engines blasted concrete debris miles from the launchpad, damaging vehicles and alarming local residents. Many described the experience as “earthquake-like,” with fragments littering beaches and nearby neighborhoods.
While SpaceX has made strides in recovering some components — including two successful catches of its Super Heavy booster using the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms — upper-stage failures remain common. The latest explosion has only added to growing tensions surrounding the program.
Mexico’s Next Steps
The Mexican government’s possible legal action highlights a new international challenge for SpaceX. Though the company operates within U.S. borders, the transboundary effects of its operations — particularly in sensitive ecological regions — may soon be the subject of global scrutiny.
As of now, SpaceX has not publicly responded to Mexico’s allegations. The U.S. State Department and FAA have also declined to comment on the brewing dispute.
