A few weeks ago, Desk reporter Delaney Nolan of The Lens sat in on an unusual conversation. Officials from SpaceX had agreed to talk to residents of Pecan Island, Louisiana, about the enormous launch center the company has planned along the Gulf Coast.
SpaceX says it wants to perform up to 30 launches a day from Pecan Island, ferrying people to and from space as casually as we might now visit a coffee shop. And this project isn’t meant to be the last. SpaceX hopes to build more such launch sites elsewhere — the infrastructure for affordable space travel.
There were efforts to limit the meeting to locals only. Two people had been asked to leave before Delaney arrived. But she was able to stay and take everything in, offering a rare look at what happens when SpaceX is pressed for details.
Here is what she says it was like to be a fly on the wall during the tense meeting:
"It was fascinating to be in the room while SpaceX reps were confronted with the locals who will be impacted by the planned massive spaceport. These high-level director types spun visions of cities on the moon — but the 100-odd Pecan Islanders brought them back to Earth (apologies for the pun). The locals were unmoved by promises of lunch in orbit — they live here, now, in Louisiana. What will it do to their water? Their homes? Their wetlands? As locals told me afterwards, it was the first time they got to speak directly with SpaceX reps about their concerns."
One man came away certain that safety protocols surrounding the frequent launches will cut him off from land where he keeps cattle. Others raised fears that launch debris will affect fishing. And what will become of the migratory birds that pass through the area? SpaceX conceded that they’ll likely scatter, but one official promised the company will go find them.
Getting access to this meeting was the result of Delaney’s strong, on-the-ground reporting. She has done a great deal of background reporting to understand the issues posed by the project, and she has been getting to know Pecan Islanders for weeks. But the most skillful aspect of her story for The Lens is how she stepped back and let them ask the tough questions.
Sometimes getting a good story means working a beat for years. Sometimes, it’s months of digging through records and tracking down the right people. Sometimes, it’s exhaustive data analysis.
And sometimes, a good story is the result of being present and listening.
If you haven’t already, please visit our website and give Delaney’s story a read. You will come away from her account with a better sense of the bigger picture.
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