A group of South Texas homeowners has filed a lawsuit against SpaceX, alleging that repeated rocket launches and sonic booms from the company’s Starbase facility damaged nearby homes over the past two years.
The 80 plaintiffs, who live near the company’s launch site in Cameron County, accuse Elon Musk’s aerospace company of gross negligence and trespassing. The lawsuit alleges that eleven rocket tests conducted between April 2023 and October 2025 generated powerful noise, vibrations, and overpressure waves that damaged walls, windows, roofs, and other parts of their homes.
The complaint does not specify the exact damage sustained by each homeowner, but argues that the repeated sonic booms demonstrate the destructive force generated by the launches. Residents also allege that debris from some launches traveled nearly three-quarters of a mile from the launchpad. The filing includes research and sound pressure data examining the impact of rocket launches on nearby homes.
Residents say repeated exposure to “extraordinary amounts of acoustic energy, including noise, vibrations, and sonic booms,” caused structural damage to their homes.
The filing also includes a detailed chart describing the types of damage that can result from repeated sonic booms and overpressure events tied to rocket launches. According to the lawsuit, the reported damage ranges from cracks in plaster and glass to more severe issues involving interior and exterior walls.
Many of the residents involved in the lawsuit live in South Padre Island and Port Isabel, the two communities closest to SpaceX’s Starbase launch site. They allege that noise and overpressure levels recorded during launches exceeded thresholds associated with structural damage.
The 59-page lawsuit cites measurements taken during an October 2024 launch that recorded noise levels above 110 decibels, a level the plaintiffs say is associated with the types of structural damage described in the complaint.
The lawsuit also alleges that returning rockets generate overpressure exceeding five pounds per square foot, which plaintiffs say is enough to damage nearby windows and roofs.
SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas has become a central hub for the company’s rocket launch operations. The company has also sought to expand its operations across the region as launch activity increases.
Since 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration under the Trump administration has authorized SpaceX to conduct up to 25 launches per year, an increase from the 20 launches previously permitted.
The residents also reference the FAA’s role in overseeing SpaceX operations, citing prior agency statements that SpaceX would be responsible for resolving structural damage caused by sonic booms and is required to carry insurance covering third-party claims, including property damage.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas on April 30 and seeks economic and non-economic damages in an amount to be determined at trial.
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