A Mexican professor on Thursday chided SpaceX CEO Elon Musk after debris from a recent rocket explosion caused fish, turtles, and sea dolphins to die.
In early June, one of Musk's rockets exploded while its engines were being fueled ahead of a test firing. The debris from the explosion rained down on the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas and enflamed tensions between Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Musk.
María Elena Álvarez-Buylla Roces, who teaches molecular genetics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, called the event "unacceptable" in a post on X, the social media platform Musk owns.
“How much longer will the greed of a few be allowed to marginalize the many and put life and our planet at risk or in peril of destruction?” the post reads.
The explosion happened at a time when Musk and SpaceX are preparing for a potential mission to Mars in 2026. However, technical issues have hampered the company's last few attempted launches.
For instance, a SpaceX rocket exploded minutes after lift-off in March, causing the Federal Aviation Administration to halt air traffic in parts of Florida. In May, another rocket broke apart, causing damage to at least one vehicle in the island nation of Turks and Caicos.
Mexican President Sheinbaum has said she will launch an investigation into the explosion and the debris field left behind.
“We are reviewing everything related to the launching of rockets that are very close to our border,” Sheinbaum told The New York Times at a recent news conference, adding that her office will file " any necessary claims" against Musk and SpaceX as a result of the investigation.