Nudists and surfers protest against SpaceX and its plan to launch the Starship from Florida
Florida beach lovers are not happy with SpaceX at the moment. The rocket company requested permission to launch its Starship rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which would cause restrictions on beach access for casual surfers and nudists.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) held a series of public meetings where area residents could voice their opinions on allowing the Starship to launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida. During the meeting, members of the Nudist Recreation Association expressed their discontent with the idea of closing Playalinda Beach, located a few kilometers from the launch site, according to Space.com.
Beach access denied
SpaceX aims to conduct about 44 launches per year from the Kennedy Space Center and has requested approval from the FAA and the Space Force to operate its Starship from the Florida Space Coast. The FAA is conducting a comprehensive environmental study and seeking input from area residents, who have expressed concerns about launch noise and beach and road closures.
In its initial assessment, the FAA estimated that Starship launch activity in Florida could result in Playalinda Beach being closed more than 60 times in a year. Playalinda is one of the few public beaches in Florida, known as a popular spot for surfers and its optional nudist section by Boardwalk 13, where nudism is legal.
During the public meeting, Erich Schuttauf, executive director of the Nudist Recreation Association, warned that restricting access to Playalinda would force nudists to travel to other nearby beaches with nudist options, overcrowding them and potentially affecting non-nudist beachgoers, according to Space.com.
Another public meeting involved the local surfing community, who protested against the activities proposed by the Starship company in Florida, as reported.
Located in the Canaveral National Seashore, Playalinda lacks major infrastructure and offers ideal surfing conditions. If Starship were to restrict access or close the beach, it would interfere with locals who want to engage in the sport.
The local community even started an online petition to try to prevent SpaceX from taking over Playalinda.
This article has been translated from Gizmodo US by Romina Fabbretti. you can find the original version.
