Blue Origin files legal action against SpaceX to limit launches in Florida

TapTechNews June 26 news, Jeff Bezos's space exploration company, Blue Origin, has launched the latest legal offensive against Elon Musk's SpaceX. They are asking the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to limit the number of SpaceX launches in Florida.

Blue Origin suggests that the US Federal Aviation Administration limit the number of launches using SpaceX's Starship Super Heavy Starship (Ss-SH) booster and rocket at Launch Pad 39A of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This request is part of the preparatory work for the proposed action environmental impact assessment (EIS) that the FAA is conducting.

Blue Origin suggests the following mitigation measures to limit the number of Starship launches before granting an operating license to SpaceX: Limit the launches, landings and other operations (including but not limited to test firings, transport operations and fueling) of the Ss-SH to the smallest number that has the least impact on the local environment, local workers and local communities, and all risks and impacts should be taken into account, including but not limited to abnormal risks, air toxin and hazardous material dispersion, road closures and thermal noise generation.

In addition to requesting to limit the number of launches, Blue Origin also urges the government to increase the launch infrastructure so that when SpaceX launches cause road closures, other launch pads can be opened for nearby tenants.

TapTechNews notes that this is not the first time that Blue Origin has taken such an action. In 2021, they once sued NASA for awarding the lunar exploration contract to SpaceX without considering other alternatives. This lawsuit was rejected by the US Federal Claims Court, and the contract for the Human Landing System (HLS) and the Artemis program was temporarily given to SpaceX. However, after many legal battles, Blue Origin finally officially obtained the HLS contract last year.