CAMERON COUNTY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — An explosion during SpaceX testing caused concern for the non-profit organization, Save RGV.
Save RGV advocates for a healthy and clean environment in the Rio Grande Valley, according to board member, Bill Berg.
“The concern and the real concern is that SpaceX launch facility is way too close to Port Isabel and inhabited areas and to South Padre,” said Berg.
Some people on South Padre Island said they felt the explosion in their homes.
“The ground will shake, houses will shake, windows will shake, perhaps some will break, and this is not really appropriate for an inhabited area,” said Berg.
A short distance from the SpaceX launch site, a Boca Chica Village resident explained they only heard what sounded like a shotgun but did not feel any vibrations or suffer any property damage.
SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk, responded to a Twitter post showing the explosion saying “Yeah, actually not good. Team is assessing the damage.”
He also tweeted saying the pad was shut down for the night for safety.
Berg explained more should be done when it comes to SpaceX testing and launching at Boca Chica.
“Superheavy launch should be tested until it’s perfected elsewhere and then, in my opinion, should not be launched here until there is an EIS saying that the whole thing is safe to launch from Boca Chica,” he said.
ValleyCentral reached out to SpaceX and Cameron County for an update on the explosion and details about an emergency plan but did not hear back from them.
