SpaceX has quickly become something of a taxi service for space travel, allowing private companies and governments to send satellites into orbit for research and commercial purposes at low cost. However, the frequent launches have reportedly become something of a nightmare for those who live near the launch sites.
Business Insider spoke to residents living near Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, who expressed feelings ranging from excitement to frustration about the launches, which sometimes cause rumbling in homes, car alarms going off, and dogs barking in the middle of the night. Residents of other launch sites in Florida and Texas have expressed similar concerns.
“I have panic attacks during launches,” Inga Yater, a resident of Carpinteria, California, told Business Insider. “And they get worse and worse; sometimes I feel like I’m having a heart attack.” Carpinteria is more than 70 miles from the launch site. Only ten miles from the base in Lompoc, residents are reporting sonic tremors that could be similar to an earthquake.
Never before have SpaceX launches occurred so frequently – in 2024, SpaceX made 50 launches from Vandenberg alone and intends to double that number to 100 in 2025. In addition to launching satellites for other companies, SpaceX is also building out its Starlink satellite internet service and has to replace satellites periodically, approximately every five years. Starlink has become a vital source of communications infrastructure in places like Ukraine, where traditional land-based communications have been severed.
Vandenberg offers locals a system of SMS alerts about upcoming launches, but those who have signed up for the service say it is not always reliable and does not give a clear indication of how big the explosion will be.
The rockets that SpaceX launches are mostly Falcon series and are smaller than the Starship rockets that SpaceX plans to use in the future. Kent Gee, a professor of physics and acoustic engineer at Brigham Young University, said that Starship rocket launches are like “a volcanic eruption on a launch pad” and, in his estimation, sound as loud as standing 200 feet away from a Boeing 747 during takeoff.
SpaceX has no plans to launch Starship rockets from Vandenberg. However, it does want to launch Falcon Heavy rockets from the base, which are larger than the existing rockets that take off from Vanderberg. The Falcon Heavy must first undergo an environmental review, and SpaceX must have insurance in case locals report structural damage from its launches.
Noise pollution and aftershocks can interfere with daily life, and it is unclear what can be done about these disruptions, other than relocating launch sites. In Florida and Texas, disruptions are less frequent because the launch sites in these states are farther away from populated areas. As a rule, launch pads should be located close to a body of water so that any spilled components do not endanger the lives of people on the ground by limiting their flight capabilities.
SpaceX did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment and generally does not communicate with the media. The company has faced criticism in Texas over threats to wildlife, but President-elect Trump’s administration has made it clear that any company investing at least $1 billion in the United States can expect expedited approval of the project, with particular emphasis on environmental obstacles. Residents living near the launch sites should not expect a delay in the near future.
