SpaceX’s plans to launch more rockets from the California coast were rejected by a state commission this week, with some officials citing Elon Musk’s political posts on X and raising concerns about the billionaire’s labor record at his companies.
The plan to increase the number of rocket blasts into space up to 50 a year was rejected by the California Coastal Commission on Thursday despite assurances from Space Force and Air Force officials that they would increase efforts to monitor the effects that rocket launches have on nearby wildlife.
The military also vowed to mitigate the reach of sonic booms that often span across 100 miles of coastline, an issue that has caused controversy.
Members of the California Coastal Commission commended Space Force and Air Force representatives for reaching an agreement, but some then cited their ongoing concerns about Musk, the owner of SpaceX, before rejecting the plan.
Among the issues raised by some commission members were Musk’s decision to insert himself in the presidential race, his spreading of conspiracy theories, the labor record of his companies and derogatory comments he has made about the transgender community.
“We’re dealing with a company, the head of which has aggressively injected himself into the presidential race,” said Commission Chair Caryl Hart.
Military officials argue that launches by SpaceX, a leading contractor, at Vandenberg Space Force Base, should be considered a federal activity because all of its launches benefit military objectives, regardless of whether the payloads being carried by the rockets are for the government or for Musk’s private satellite internet company, Starlink.
As such, Space Force officials don’t have to obtain a permit, or permission, from the California Coastal Commission for rocket launches, they only need to reach an agreement to mitigate the effects.
But commissioners in recent months have questioned whether SpaceX launches, which carry private Starlink equipment on up to 87% of their flights, should be considered private activity instead. That would mean that Musk’s company would have to obtain permission from the California agency for launches carrying private equipment.
Military officials have gone before the commission repeatedly this year to try and significantly increase the number of SpaceX launches, and officials said they plan to once again ask for another increase — for up to 100 annually — by early next year. But Musk’s recent social media posts, and his growing presence and influence in national and global affairs have become an ongoing concern by commission members considering whether or not to approve an agreement that would see SpaceX increase its activities in California.
“This company is owned by the richest person in the world with direct control of what could be the most expansive communications system in the planet,” said Commissioner Mike Wilson. “Just last week that person was talking about political retribution.”
Wilson asked how could members of the commission be assured that equipment being launched would benefit U.S. interests if most of it was for the benefit of a private company.
“Elon Musk is hopping about the country, spewing and tweeting political falsehoods and attacking [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] while claiming his desire to help hurricane victims with free Starlink access to the internet,” said Commissioner Gretchen Newsom.
This is not the first time SpaceX and the state commission have clashed over an increase in rocket launches.
Earlier this year, SpaceX sought to increase the number of launches from six to 36 a year, but commissioners noted the request came after the number of launches had already been exceeded.
During a meeting in April, commissioners once again pushed back at the argument from military officials that all SpaceX activities benefited the U.S. government and should therefore be considered federal activity. Commissioners pointed to reports that Starlink had refused to allow Ukraine, a U.S. ally, from using its satellite internet service to help carry out an attack against Russia in September 2022.
In a post on X, Musk said there was a request from Ukraine to activate Starlink services with the intent to sink a Russian fleet, but that he did not agree to it because Starlink would then be “explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation.”
A spokesperson for SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment for this article. A spokesperson previously said in an email that all launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base, including commercial ones, were considered federal activity.
The commission rejected the agreement Thursday on a 6-4 vote.
Officials at Vandenberg Space Force Base said despite the vote, they were not deterred from working with the commission and finding a solution.
“Today’s vote hasn’t changed the [Department of the Air Force’s] or Vandenberg’s unwavering commitment to preserving the California coastline and the precious species that reside there,” Ravi Chaudhary, assistant secretary of the Air Force for energy, installations and environment said in a statement. “The Space Force’s dedication to collaboration here is in may ways unprecedented — so is our commitment to ensuring dialogue continues.”
Space Force officials in August had rejected commission demands to increase monitoring and mitigation efforts, frustrating commissioners tasked with preserving the California coast. But on Thursday, military officials had seemingly reversed their stance, agreeing to commission requests to increase monitoring and to set up an inter-agency working group that includes U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Federal Aviation Administration to address concerns as the number of launches increases.
“We hear you, and we’re committed to working with you,” said Chaudhary.
The plan would have allowed SpaceX to conduct up to 50 rocket launches a year from the military base in Santa Barbara County, but the company is expected to double that number by early 2025 as it continues to push its reach into space exploration as a leading Space Force contractor.
On Thursday, members of the commission lauded military officials for their work to reach an agreement, but plainly stated their main concern is that it should be SpaceX representatives who should be before the commission to obtain permits for the company’s growing rocket program, not military officials.
“It is essential that SpaceX apply for a [Coastal Development Permit],” Hart said. “We’re going to hit a wall here.”
SpaceX’s rapid expansion has pitted the company against state and federal agencies at times. Musk, who also owns X, has used the social media company to criticize the FAA after the agency proposed fining SpaceX over license requirements, and for delays over the licensing for the SpaceX Starship 5.
The California Coastal Commission also raised concerns this year over the launches after residents reported sonic booms were jolting and startling residents and wildlife across the coast. Initially, military officials reported sonic booms from rocket blasts out of Vandenberg Space Force base were rare. But Air Force officials in June acknowledged sonic booms were regularly reaching across more than 100 miles of coastline from Santa Barbara County to as far as Los Angeles County.
Residents from Lompoc to Camarillo reported feeling the impacts of the booms for months, and Space Force officials said changes in flight trajectories have made the sonic booms audible to people in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
Worries about the expanding reach and impact of the sonic booms prompted members of the commission to ask military officials to better monitor and mitigate the effects of the rocket launches.
The commission can’t unilaterally impose restrictions or conditions on the military, which uses SpaceX as a military contractor, but it works to reach agreements with the military to mitigate the effects on the environment and coast.