Preserving Their Space
Nudists Concerned About Impact Of SpaceX In Florida
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is putting out the welcome mat to SpaceX, which has been building out a Starship tower for the past year to accommodate launches from Cape Canaveral, a project that the governor’s office says includes at least $1.8 billion in capital investment and an estimated 600 new full-time jobs by 2030. Not everyone is as enthusiastic about the plan, including naturists who enjoy the nearby Playalinda Beach, one of the four main public beaches in Florida where nudity is legal.
During a series of public hearings by the Federal Aviation Administration, area residents and members of the nudist community expressed concern about the environmental impact of the massive expansion and the prospect of it forcing the closure of Playalinda Beach in order to allow Starship to lift off.
SpaceX wants to make as many as 44 launches each year from the Kennedy Space Center, in part to support NASA’s plans to return humans to the moon. In order to do so, it has to build out the infrastructure for its reusable launch system, and that could involve landing operations at Kennedy Space Center or on offshore drone ships. Although the construction of the launch tower is underway, the FAA has not completed its comprehensive environmental review or granted final clearance for the operations.
The FAA has yet to determine whether SpaceX can meet both its financial and safety requirements to operate at the Kennedy Space Center, but its initial assessment concluded that, should the project gain approval, Playalinda Beach might have to be closed more than 60 times a year. The Starship rocket system’s size and explosive launch profile would expand the current exclusion zones from Launch Complex 39A, potentially disrupting air traffic, marine activity, and access to the nearby public beaches such as Playalinda.
Public comment on the draft environmental impact statement closes on September 22.