Investing.com -- A U.S. district court judge on Monday rejected a lawsuit from conservation groups that challenged the Federal Aviation Administration's 2022 approval of expanded rocket launch operations by Elon Musk's SpaceX in South Texas.

The conservation groups had argued that SpaceX operations next to a national wildlife refuge were causing environmental harm through noise, light pollution, construction, and road traffic. They claimed these activities degraded the habitat area, which is home to endangered species including ocelots and jaguarundis, as well as nesting sites for endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtles and threatened shorebirds.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, presiding in Washington, ruled that the FAA had fulfilled its obligation "to take a hard look at the effects of light on nearby wildlife" when approving the expanded operations.

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