The federal regulators that SpaceX founder Elon Musk periodically loves to hate have outlined some proposals for how the company could help the South Texas environment endure more rocket launches.
Dead birds near the noisy SpaceX launch pads would be examined for signs of hearing damage. A Brownsville, Texas, zoo would get an annual $5,000 contribution. Infrared-equipped drones would seek out nearby avian nests needing protection.
In a revised draft environmental assessment completed Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration cites these ideas and others that might accompany SpaceX’s plans to quintuple the number of rocket launches from its Boca Chica launch site.
The FAA expects to finalize the assessment, which is required before the agency issues a permit, after the conclusion of a public comment period that lasts until Jan. 17. That means that a final decision will likely be left up to the Trump administration, in which Musk is expected to play a role as a kind of outside consultant at the helm of an initiative to root out government inefficiency.
