Sept. 30, 2026 · 80 people with homes near Starbase are suing SpaceX, saying launches damaged their houses. Here is where the case stands.

September 30, 2026 · Local · In court

80 people with homes near Starbase are suing SpaceX, saying launches damaged their houses. Here is where the case stands.

Starship climbing away from the coast on its first orbital flight, Sept. 28 — Starship's first orbital flight lifts off from Starbase, Sept. 28. Photo: SpaceX.

Flight 14 made history this week, but for some of Starbase's neighbors the launches are also a court case. In a federal lawsuit filed April 30 in Brownsville, 80 people who say they own homes around the launch site allege that noise, vibrations and sonic booms from Starship operations damaged their houses. The complaint names places where plaintiffs live, including South Padre Island, Port Isabel and Laguna Vista.

The case is Aguilar et al. v. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., No. 1:26-cv-00485 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The homeowners claim negligence, gross negligence and trespass, and they seek economic damages, damages for mental anguish and exemplary damages. Their complaint points to eleven fully integrated Starship test flights between April 2023 and October 2025.

SpaceX's side: SpaceX has not filed its answer to the claims yet. SpaceX first moved to dismiss in July. The homeowners amended their complaint, and on Aug. 6 the court made the amended version the one that counts. On Aug. 12 SpaceX asked the court to throw out only the mental-anguish damages. It argues that Texas law generally does not allow those damages in property cases unless the defendant meant to harm the plaintiff, and that the homeowners do not allege SpaceX targeted them. Its filing also points out that the homeowners' own complaint says the launches were conducted under Federal Aviation Administration licensing and oversight. SpaceX says it will file its answer after the court rules on that request.

Where it stands: the homeowners opposed SpaceX's request on Sept. 9, SpaceX replied on Sept. 23, and the court reset the case's initial conference on Sept. 22. No ruling on the request appears on the public docket yet. Magistrate Judge Karen Betancourt is handling pretrial matters in the case, which is assigned to U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. We will follow it and report each ruling, with links to the filings.

Closer to home today: the city lists Boca Chica Beach as open this morning, with no road delays. Check the live status before you head out, or text BEACH to 866-513-3475.

Sources: Court docket, Aguilar v. SpaceX, No. 1:26-cv-00485 (CourtListener) · Original complaint, April 30 · Amended complaint, July 29 · Court order, Aug. 6 · SpaceX motion on mental-anguish damages, Aug. 12 · City of Starbase, Beach and Road Access (checked 5 AM Sept. 30) · SpaceX on X, Sept. 28 (lead photo)

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