More than 150 residents of McGregor, Texas, have filed two class-action lawsuits against SpaceX. They allege that tests of the Raptor and Merlin engines at the company's facility are causing structural damage to their homes. Cracks in walls, broken windows, and constant vibrations are the main complaints, attributed to the shockwaves from the ground-mounted engines.
Anchored engines: kinetic energy without damping 🏚️
Unlike a vertical launch, where thrust dissipates at altitude, bench tests in McGregor transmit energy directly into the ground. The Raptor and Merlin engines, being fixed, generate acoustic waves and low-frequency vibrations that propagate through the soil. This kinetic energy, without natural damping, causes fatigue in the materials of nearby structures, cracking foundations and breaking glass through resonance.
Elon Musk: from colonizing Mars to cracking houses in Texas 🚀
The irony is evident. While Elon Musk dreams of building cities on Mars, his neighbors in McGregor deal with cracks in their living rooms. It seems the Raptor engines are so powerful that they not only move rockets but also the foundations of nearby homes. Perhaps SpaceX's next project should be a wall repair service, before Martian colonists sue for poor construction.