I was thrilled with the first few SpaceX launches. A new era! Better telecommunications for all. Job growth in Santa Barbara County! Charming contrails.

Like a dinner guest who monopolizes the conversation, though, the frequent launches began to wear on me. I started to question the impacts of the launches: sonic booms, space debris, and earth and ocean debris.

I wondered what SpaceX is doing to take responsibility for their impacts.

Sea turtles on Texas and Mexico beaches are a poignant example. CNN reports that the endangered Kemp’s Ridley Turtles in Tamaulipas, Mexico, have been invaded by debris from Starbase, SpaceX’s launchpad across the border in Texas.

The debris field from a May launch includes countless pieces scattered across several kilometers of beach.

A small Mexican NGO named Conibio, under founder Jesus Elias Ibarra, has toiled to eliminate trash excreted by one of the most powerful companies in the world.

Conibio reports that the first time a rocket booster fell into the Gulf, SpaceX sent three or more helicopters plus 10 boats for the clean-up. But more debris came from the May launch, with no remediation by SpaceX. They claim there are no chemical, biological or toxicological risks associated with a typical SpaceX launch.

The debris includes solid and spongy plastics, aluminum with SpaceX labels, plastic bubble wrap, steel tubes, colored adhesives, a 10-foot long tank. and a stainless steel pipe.

Conibio also reported a dozen or more large metal tanks, some weighing 4,500 pounds. Ibarra, a veterinarian and director of a marine turtle program, predicted small debris could end up being ingested by Kemp’s ridley turtles.

He believes the rocket vibrations also compact the sand, preventing turtle hatchlings from emerging. At least 300 hatchlings have died in compacted nests.

Closer to home, the California Coastal Commission has been negotiating with Vandenberg Space Force Base on local SpaceX launches. Their early 2024 agreement called for six launches per year. Regardless, SpaceX launched 28 rockets, more than quadruple the agreed-upon number.

In October 2024 the Coastal Commission conditionally approved an increase to 36 launches. SpaceX’s response was to raise their proposal to 50.

The CCC rejected the proposal, citing insufficient information, which caused SpaceX to allege agency overreach in a lawsuit.

This summer SpaceX proposed increasing the launches to 95, garnering unanimous opposition from the CCC. The commission is expressing concern about potential adverse impacts on marine life, coastal resources, and nearby communities.

Among the specific concerns are sonic booms, which may be stranding sea lions, air quality, and space debris.

The U.S. Space Force is expected to proceed with the proposed launch increase despite the CCC’s opposition, according to the L.A. Times. State and local jurisdictions are fighting for their rights, asserting federal overreach.

To be sure, the federal government has important roles here — protective ones. One role is to ensure that industries and companies pick up their trash and remediate the environment.

Whether companies are operating on private or government contract, they need to incorporate all the costs, including clean-up, into their prices.

The new space era should not feature corporate freeloading off society.

Another important role for the government is to be the voice of caution balancing the singular profit motive of our capitalist system.

The Precautionary Principle works well here, defined as “taking preventive action in the face of scientific uncertainty about potential harm.” This includes earth and ocean debris as well as space debris, where about 54,000 objects larger than playing cards circle the earth’s orbit, menacing satellites and spacecraft.

While the EU has adopted the Precautionary Principle explicitly as a cornerstone of its environmental policy, the U.S. still typically burdens regulators with showing that a product or activity is harmful before it can be restricted.

Moreover, the current federal government is making it increasingly easy for companies to shirk their duty.

In this new space era, we need to consider the universe of consequences.