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Scott Solomon, Teaching Professor of BioSciences, Rice University

SpaceX is poised to go public and test the latest version of its massive Starship rocket amidst criticism about its environmental impact

SpaceX Earth Elon Musk Environment Moon Mars IPO NASA Starbase

An earlier version of SpaceX's Starship rocket launched from the Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas during a test in November 2024. AP Photo/Eric Gay

SpaceX is proceeding with two major milestones with consequences that could be, at a minimum, global. The company, owned by Elon Musk and valued at upwards of US$1.5 trillion, released its financial details on May 20, 2026 in advance of an IPO scheduled for June 12 and anticipated to be the largest in history. Meanwhile, as soon as this evening, May 21, SpaceX plans to test the latest version of its Starship rocket – also the largest of its kind in history – and designed to facilitate a human migration to the Moon and Mars.

But underlying SpaceX’s surges forward are tensions between the company’s activities and concerns about the effects they may be having on the environment.

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