MCGREGOR, Texas — In recent weeks, residents of McGregor and other nearby towns report louder engine tests from the SpaceX rocket development facility and are looking for answers.
Even people miles away from the McGregor facility report hearing the thundering sound of the engine tests in recent days.
"Rattles the door, everything rattles," said McGregor resident Anna Kaiser. "Can't even hear the TV over the rattle."
Kaiser has lived in McGregor since 2007 and said the noise from the facility has consistently worsened over the last six months. Kaiser, like many others, has also expressed concerns over the potential for damage to her home.
"Our front door ... it will not stay level. And it's a storm door--glass, heavy. But it will not stay level," she said.
McGregor Mayor Jim Hering told 25 News that the city is aware of the issue and that he has heard the louder rumbling himself.
"We know there is something different going on," Hering said. "We know that it is a problem and we are going to work with SpaceX to try to resolve that problem."
Hering said there are a lot of possible causes for the rumbling, including the types of engines being tested, the direction of the tests, and changes in the atmosphere as winter nears. Hering said the city plans to work with the facility immediately to address resident concerns.
"If the problem can't be fixed immediately, then at least we need to know what is being done immediately so that we have a timeline on when the issue's gonna be resolved," he said.
The mayor suggests that if there are concerns about property damage from the engine tests, that they should be directed to SpaceX at communityrelations@spacex.com.
25 News reached out to SpaceX for comment on Wednesday morning but did not hear back.
