A protest of boats now intends to violate the range and prevent the next Starship/Superheavy test launch
Protest announcement. Click for original.
A Mexico activist group now plans to launch a fleet of boats that plan to violate the range and prevent the next Starship/Superheavy test launch.
A translated version of the protest announcement can be seen to the right. From the first link above:
A Mexican environmental group, Comité Global A.C., said it plans to protest the launch by sending boats into the Gulf of Mexico near Starbase. If they enter designated safety areas during the planned launch period, they could delay the mission.
The group’s leader said the Matamoros Port Authority gave permission for the protest dubbed “Operación Golfo de México.” It will also include protesters on Playa Bagdad, a Mexican beach just south of the Rio Grande where people often gather for Starship launches.
I have not yet gotten confirmation that the local port authority has approved this protest as the organization claims, but it also appears that this activist group intends to show up in boats regardless. If so, this protest could easily cause the next test launch, now scheduled for August 24, 2025, to be delayed endlessly.
It seems this is a matter for Trump and the Coast Guard. Someone must move in and remove these boats, arresting and fining the occupants for violating launch range restrictions that apply to all international waters.
Hat tip to reader Richard M.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Protest announcement. Click for original.
A Mexico activist group now plans to launch a fleet of boats that plan to violate the range and prevent the next Starship/Superheavy test launch.
A translated version of the protest announcement can be seen to the right. From the first link above:
A Mexican environmental group, Comité Global A.C., said it plans to protest the launch by sending boats into the Gulf of Mexico near Starbase. If they enter designated safety areas during the planned launch period, they could delay the mission.
The group’s leader said the Matamoros Port Authority gave permission for the protest dubbed “Operación Golfo de México.” It will also include protesters on Playa Bagdad, a Mexican beach just south of the Rio Grande where people often gather for Starship launches.
I have not yet gotten confirmation that the local port authority has approved this protest as the organization claims, but it also appears that this activist group intends to show up in boats regardless. If so, this protest could easily cause the next test launch, now scheduled for August 24, 2025, to be delayed endlessly.
It seems this is a matter for Trump and the Coast Guard. Someone must move in and remove these boats, arresting and fining the occupants for violating launch range restrictions that apply to all international waters.
Hat tip to reader Richard M.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
This group seems to have forgotten that there was an election in this country in 2024, and under its new management, “don’t” actually means something. Associated with this, there is a popular acronym that covers this sort of thing. (Ask the muggers and carjackers in DC.)
One more reason for inland launch out of Area 51
I support SpaceX in its quest to destroy the Lora turtle!
Wait, no turtles are harmed from rocket launches? I want my money back.
Trump needs to call Claudia & tell her if this is allowed, she can look at a 300% tariff on Mexican goods entering the country. This should spur some enforcement by the Mexican coast guard.
It’s too bad Musk and Trump aren’t exactly on speaking terms currently. This could be solved in a heartbeat. I do expect the the Coast Guard to be on the ready to make some arrests if laws are violated.
Advertise a $10k reward for every protestor boat safely blocked or towed out of the exclusion zone, and the Texan Navy will take care of it :)
Arrest them all and confiscate every boat and sink the boats in Mexican waters..
A lack of boats will eventually stop them.
Just launch anyway. No duty of care is required when these idiots put themselves in harm’s way deliberately in a danger area.
What, no Greta Thunberg?
It’s curious that physically preventing others from lawful activity is ‘non-violent’, while speaking in support of law is ‘violence’.
Frankly I wouldn’t put it past Trump to tell the Coast Guard to stand down.
Too bad…I was hoping for another fireworks show
https://www.spacedaily.com/m/reports/After_repeated_explosions_new_test_for_Musks_megarocket_999.html
Jeff, Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk have their differences (too bad), but both want Starship to succeed. Mr. Trump also will not have a law enforcement unit ‘stand down’ on anything; it would undermine what he is doing elsewhere (e.g., D.C.). So no, the Coast Guard will do its duty.
Joe
I suggest the the Trump/Musk “feud” is kayfabe designed to give Musk cover so the TDS liberals buy Teslas again.
The legality of this protest aside, wouldn’t the easiest solution be to bung the environmentalist organisations a fist full of dollars towards their causes? I’m sure a “donation” of hard cash could change priorities.
Wow Lee S, really? Reward bad behavior to make it stop?
If a vessel is notified that they’re approaching an exclusion zone and continues to sail into the zone, why should it be incumbent upon a launch provider to stand down when an exclusion zone is DELIBERATELY violated?
Lee S,
I seem to remember one of your countrymen once writing something about the consequences of paying Danegeld – though in this particular case Beangeld might be a more appropriate word.
I totally agree with Mike B. And Richard R. Post warnings in appropriate media and if they still want to take a chance on catching hot rocket debris so be it.
Does make me wonder if they’d then do it Hamas style – fill the boats with children.
Mitch S.
These people probably would.
To Richard Reese
Why would SpaceX not launch when the exclusion zone is intentionally violated?
On the off chance that SuperHeavy stumbles…with umpteen tons of flaming steel falling upon their insipid little zodiacs captured live on 4K and ginned up as a Hispanic Michael Brown deal.
Danegeld or no—Elon should have bought off the wife of SpaceX employee Cabada…who would likely be the face of the movement in case the raft flotilla were mostly rent-a-mob type white kids from Marin County California. They are cannon fodder.
The problem with letting them ignore the range exclusion zone, is everyone and their brother will start doing it for awesome views of the rocket. They’ll get in the way of landings and/or eventually someone will get hurt.
I vote for making Letters of Marque great again. Let the Americans take care of it the old fashioned way. Strike the jolly roger, Plunder’s abound or sink them maties, aRRR.
With ya, John. A letter of marque and a juicy bounty would generate plenty of Texan fleet support.
But politically, the best solution is to get Claudia to use her Coast Guard to do it. Musk (via Trump) can make that happen.
Richard V Reese asked: “If a vessel is notified that they’re approaching an exclusion zone and continues to sail into the zone, why should it be incumbent upon a launch provider to stand down when an exclusion zone is DELIBERATELY violated?”
Morals.
Interdict.
Arrest.
Sell the boats for their legal fees.
Then fine them 25x the amount when they lose.
Return them to Mexico on foot.
Stupidity of this nature should not be rewarded.
Not sure how an exclusion zone can include other country’s territorial waters.
I think any liability would be difficult to enforce. Sue away, you know they are going to anyway.
It’s FAFO time South of the Border.
I’m old and grew up in the time of NO LABELS on hair dryers in showers or “This plastic bag is not a toy”! We should stop interfering with Nature and let the stupid do stupid! It seems like Mexico is getting a tad more “unfriendly” to the USA since their pipeline was cut off! I do wonder just how much Mexico has profited from the INVASION of OUR Nation. Many years ago I posted many times that we should give Mexico a Two Year Warning to get their crap in order or WE would be coming to shut down their drugs, cartels, and INVASION. Maybe PRESIDENT TRUMP will finally be pushed to just SHUT DOWN the Border – NO ONE IN from the South – NO PRODUCTS in from the South, but plenty of foot traffic by RETURNING INVADERS back into Mexico!
The pissant protest is just a little nuisance, but it should be put down with a heavy dose of WATER CANNONS – let them swim back to shore!
I see no reason to postpone a launch if people are violating the area, that is their luck and health.
@ Patrick & Dick
I’m not suggesting a bung for every launch, but a payment in return for a contract saying the protests will stop is not so different to what SpaceX has been doing up to now around the launch site to appease the locals.
For sure this plan has problems, but also would reneging on a legally binding contract not make it easier to remove protesters?
I’m just musing on a perhaps imperfect, but relatively quick and effective plan to get the show back on the road
Lee S,
Not quick and not effective. It’s like paying ransom to kidnappers. Once they know you’ll pay, they keep jacking up the ransom. The idea that ideological communists will have any respect for the law of contracts is… amusing.
“The idea that ideological communists will have any respect for the law of contracts is… amusing.”
Correct. As Mr Kipling said “once you pay the Danegeld, you never get rid of the Dane”.
Pinochet had the right idea with Communists.
Lee S,
You wrote: “I’m not suggesting a bung for every launch, but a payment in return for a contract saying the protests will stop is not so different to what SpaceX has been doing up to now around the launch site to appease the locals.”
And look what it led to: a fleet of boats to disrupt the launches, and a recommendation that they, too, be paid extortion money.
If the extortion reward becomes high enough, maybe I should think of getting a boat and heading to the southern Texas coast of the gulf, too. If the U.S. is going to succumb to massive corruption, why shouldn[t I get may fair share, too?
“For sure this plan has problems, but also would reneging on a legally binding contract not make it easier to remove protesters?”
Is it necessary to create a contract in order to remove protesters? Aren’t they breaking the law by violating keep out zones?
“I’m just musing on a perhaps imperfect, but relatively quick and effective plan to get the show back on the road”
The aerospace industry is very used to doing the right thing (following laws, ethics, etc.) while also doing the thing right (making it work). Taking shortcuts just to get going faster often ends in disaster. Aerospace relies upon immutable laws of physics, and the reason for the processes is to use those laws to the advantage of the project. That advantage is often lost when a shortcut is taken.
The law (justice) has a similar principle. A shortcut can remove you from the moral high ground and take you to a lost court case.
In both aerospace and law, developing something new can take a while and can have setbacks along the way. Boats intentionally in the way must be dealt with in a legal way. Eliminating the heckler’s veto may not be easy, but doing it right is mandatory.
BLSinSC
I do not disagree, in principle.
However, when such behavior threatens to take others with them, or interferes with the progress of those actually doing the good work, one has to draw the line.
A lot of folks just don’t know how loud rockets can be–louder than the sonic screechers Japan use on Sea Shepherds.
I remember one of my first visits to Huntsville, where they had a V-2 right out in open, by the way.
On a wall, behind clear material, was a small nozzle that would activate occasionally.
I stood close, expecting the thruster to hiss a bit.
Instead, it screamed in fury–the loudest thing I ever heard.
In the past, I suggested that the pad be ringed with Raptors firing to the side to help evacuate exhaust products from SuperHeavy.
Aimed out to sea, the sheer noise would keep boaters away–friend or for.
Kelthuz
“Start Up the Rotors”
https://youtu.be/sVwjC8HrHAw
(2:47)
Paying off protestors is like buying slaves to stop slavery.
Even if you make a deal with one group and pay them off whats to stop them from forming a new group and donating that very same cash to the new group?
Exclusion zones are acknowledged around the world. So arresting the protestors when they break the boundary can never be argued with.
Enforcing the law just needs to be done.
I would not even give the protestors a chance to take it to court. Just grab them charge them and ship them back into Mexico. Is the Mexican navy really going to stop us. If they miss their court date they get an arrest warrant and a huge fine. The next time they try to get into the US they get arrested.