Cameron County has approved SpaceX to build an air separator at its Starbase facility to help with liquid oxygen and nitrogen propellant. However, the locals aren’t too pleased with the development, and the county has some stipulations.
SpaceX will now be able to begin construction of an air separator in Starbase, Texas, next to Starship’s two launch towers. The purpose of the unit is to supplement the deliveries of liquid oxygen and nitrogen used in the launch and testing of Starship rockets.
This would help replace some of the trucks that can be seen constantly delivering propellant and other consumables to Starbase down Texas State Highway 4, also known as Boca Chica Blvd. At least 200 trucks are needed per Starship launch, carrying everything from inert nitrogen gas to the highly combustible liquid oxygen and natural gas/methane.
Hopefully, this reduction in trucks will decrease the amount of repair work needed on the highway. Anyone who has driven down the long road to Starbase will know how dodgy it can be with the number of potholes.
The addition does not come without controversy. The building of the separation unit will take place just a few hundred feet from the Gulf of Mexico, which means some of the highly protected dunes will be destroyed. SpaceX is required by the county to reconstruct the same amount of destroyed dunes elsewhere.
Local advocacy groups have not taken kindly to the development, wishing the county would have taken more time to allow for public comment.
Bill Berg, a member of Save RGV, who has been against SpaceX’s development in the area since the beginning, said, “I think that it’s clearly true today how the government of Cameron County is kind of falling over to please SpaceX.”
Space Explored’s Take
As SpaceX continues to grow Starbase, the industrialization of the area is a requirement. It is inevitable that some protected wildlife will end up being destroyed. This is neither the first nor the last.
It does seem obvious that the local governments are in favor of SpaceX’s continued growth and choose to look past environmental and cultural concerns of the locals. But can you blame them? Since SpaceX arrived in the region, the company has done nothing but transform the area with endless jobs and tons of publicity. And if Elon has his way, Starbase could end up being an impressive new city.
While many of the anti-SpaceXers may believe they are still in the majority, they may soon realize that they are no longer.
