Elon Musk Clashes with California Coastal Commission Over SpaceX Launches

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk hit back at the California Coastal Commission after the body rejected the company's proposal to increase its launch frequency at Vandenberg Space Force Base citing Musk's political and environmental views.

The agency's commissioners contributed a 6-4 vote Thursday against the plea, reported Business Insider.

The Vandenberg Space Force Base has been a fixture for SpaceX since 2013, serving as a launch site for its rockets. The company, which initially had a permit for 36 launches per year, had recently proposed to increase the launch frequency to 50 due to growing demand.

However, the California Coastal Commission (CCC) rejected the proposal over concerns about whether Elon Musk's tweets and public statements aligned with California's values.

The key concern behind the proposal biting dust was Musk's polarizing political views, followed by some other issues such as SpaceX's labor practices and potential environmental harm to local wildlife. The commission also questioned SpaceX's classification as a military contractor, Politico reported.

"Elon Musk is hopping about the country, spewing and tweeting political falsehoods and attacking FEMA while claiming his desire to help the hurricane victims with free Starlink access to the internet," said CCC Commissioner Gretchen Newsom in a video of the meeting.

"It appears that rather than prioritizing the welfare of SpaceX employees and the environment, the focus has been on profit maximization," she added.

Elon Musk responded to the Politico story Sunday, calling it "inappropriate" and would sue CCC for First Amendment violation. "What I post on this platform has nothing to do with a "coastal commission" in California!" he wrote on X, posting screenshot of the story.

Despite its collaboration with the military, SpaceX is a private firm, and CCC said it should therefore have to obtain a permit. By ensuring that SpaceX's operations are subject to environmental impact assessments, the agency said the ruling helps to safeguard California's water and coast from possible harm.

"It is essential that SpaceX apply for a CDP," commission Chair Caryl Hart said, referring to a Coastal Development Permit, adding: "There is no other way forward in my opinion."