MCGREGOR, Texas — Dozens of Central Texas residents have filed a lawsuit against Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), alleging rocket engine testing at the company’s McGregor facility has caused significant damage to their homes.

The lawsuit, filed April 30 in McLennan County’s 414th District Court, includes 76 plaintiffs from McLennan and Coryell counties. The group is seeking more than $1 million in damages and has requested a jury trial. 

RELATED: China Spring man suing SpaceX, claiming rocket launch caused damage to his home

According to the petition, residents living in communities including McGregor, Moody, Crawford and Oglesby say they have experienced years of intense noise and ground vibrations tied to SpaceX’s rocket engine testing operations. 

The McGregor site, described in the filing as a roughly 4,000-acre testing and manufacturing hub, is used for “static fire” tests, where rocket engines are secured to structures and ignited without liftoff. Plaintiffs argue that those tests generate powerful acoustic waves and seismic vibrations that travel into surrounding neighborhoods. 

The lawsuit claims those forces have led to structural damage, including cracked foundations, shifting homes, and shattered windows and doors.  Residents also allege the impact has worsened over time due to the frequency of testing.

The filing states engine tests can occur nearly every day — sometimes multiple times — with some burns lasting several minutes and producing more than 600,000 pounds of thrust.  In one example cited in the lawsuit, more than 20 tests were recorded over five days. 

Plaintiffs further allege SpaceX was aware of the damage through complaints and repair claims submitted by homeowners, but failed to take adequate action. 

This isn’t the first lawsuit this SpaceX location has faced. 

Back in 2023, court documents revealed that a China Spring resident sued SpaceX for monetary relief of over $250,000 after he, Edward Leslie, claimed a launch caused structural damage to his home.

Attorneys for the residents argue the repeated testing amounts to a continuous disruption that has caused both economic and non-economic harm, including declining property conditions and quality of life concerns.

The case will remain in state court, with the filing arguing federal jurisdiction does not apply because the parties are primarily Texas residents and the claims do not involve federal law. 

6 News has reached out to SpaceX for comment and has not yet received a response.

We also reached to the law firm Martinez & Tijerina P.L.L.C as they are representing the 76 plaintiffs. They had no comment on the case but added that they would keep us posted on any updates moving forward.