- A federal judge declined to block a land exchange that grants SpaceX more than 700 acres of a federal wildlife refuge in South Texas.
- Under the June agreement, SpaceX acquires public refuge acreage near its launch facility in exchange for handing over 683 acres of private land.
- U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ruled that environmental groups failed to demonstrate the transaction would cause immediate ecological harm.
- Conservationists and indigenous organizations pledged to press forward with their lawsuit, arguing the deal hands valuable public resources over to a private company.
- The judge noted that issuing a preliminary injunction against the land transfer would disrupt SpaceX's operational schedules and contractual obligations.
IN FULL
Green light for Elon Musk: Federal judge approves Texas land swap between SpaceX and US government
