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> the recent environmental disaster accompanying the 4/20 launch

"Environmental disaster"? A bit overdramatic, isn't it? The amount of "debris and dust" was absolutely minuscule compared to regular human activity in a developed country like the US.

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We do try to confine those activities to industrial zones and not in and around protected environments, and we do try and mitigate the worst effects where we can. I personally thought their decision to launch without a proper launch pad was asinine before it happened, and my opinion was not changed for the better by the outcome.

The launch pad is as much in development as the vehicle itself, so it's not at all clear what is "a proper launch pad" for this vehicle. And even once it's clear what it is, I've even seen some estimates that building one on that site may take years for reasons of local geology. Meanwhile they need to perform launch tests, so I'm not sure what else than MVP they're supposed to use. Clearly waiting a few years is not an option in a chicken-and-egg situation.

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