Elon Musk’s recent endorsement of former President Donald Trump and social media posts have possibly cost his rocket company the ability to continue launching its Falcon 9 rocket from the California coast this year.
The California Coastal Commission voted on Oct. 10 to deny Musk’s SpaceX its request to make 50 rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County.
Six members voted against the request, and four voted in favor of increasing the number of launches. Commission staff recommended approving the request.
The rocket company submitted a request on July 9 for the additional launches and landings and has since worked with the Air Force and the Coastal Commission to meet environmental conditions.
The rockets are mainly used to deliver the company’s Starlink satellites, which provide commercial satellite internet and telecommunications, and for military missions.
Air Force officials consider the missions to be critical to national defense, America’s national space objectives, and are used by the Department of Defense and the intelligence community, according to federal officials.
The rockets mostly land at sea offshore of Baja California in Mexico, and would be transported to the Port of Long Beach and then to Vandenberg Harbor for reuse.
Despite bipartisan support from 14 of the state’s members of Congress and 10 state legislators, as well as the backing of the U.S. Air Force, six commissioners voted against additional launches, citing Musk’s public statements on politics and related activities.
“Right now, 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 Commissioner Gretchen Newsom, appointed by the State Senate Rules Committee, in a statement Thursday.
Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, announced Friday its service would be free until the end of the year for those impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which caused significant damage in Florida, Georgia, West Virginia, and North Carolina this month.
The satellite internet company came to the aid of thousands of residents struggling in the aftermath of both hurricanes, offering free connections and cell phone service. Musk has also deployed Starlink in Ukraine following the Russian invasion, and in Palestinian territories during the war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas.
Thursday’s denial by the commission for more launches may not end SpaceX’s activities at Vandenberg this year, however.
Federal agencies are required to seek approval from the commission for certain activities, such as the rocket launches, but they have the authority to proceed “as they see fit regardless of the commission’s determination,” commission spokesman Joshua Smith told The Epoch Times.
If that happens, the commission can pursue mediation or sue the company, according to staff.
In August, SpaceX asked to bump up allowable launches to 36, which was approved by the commission. But the company is nearing that number now. If approved, it would have allowed SpaceX to launch about every five days for the rest of 2024.
SpaceX leases a launch site at Vandenberg, allowing the company to launch payloads into space several times per year.
The commission also cited other reasons for the rejection.
“Commissioners objected on Thursday to increasing rocket launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base in large part because the Air Force has not convinced them that SpaceX launches qualify as a federal government activity,” Smith said.
Commissioners have asked SpaceX to apply for a separate Coastal Development Permit in compliance with California law because it is a private company, Smith added.
“Commissioners also expressed a desire to collect more environmental monitoring data before approving such a rapid increase in launches,” Smith said.
Many of the 12-member commission—two of whom were not at the meeting—also voiced concerns about the government’s collaboration with Musk’s company.
Commissioner David Rye, appointed by the State Assembly Speaker, voted in favor of the request but said there was a “ton of concern around SpaceX.”
“I’m going to be supporting this today because we’ve made a lot of progress … but I do share a lot of the concerns around SpaceX as a company and us working so closely with them,” Rye said.
Commission Chair Dr. Caryl Hart, who voted against the request, said she was disturbed and concerned by Musk’s political statements.
“We’re dealing with a company that the head of which has aggressively injected himself into the presidential race and made it clear what his pointy of view is,” Hart said. “And he’s managed a company in a way … that I find to be very disturbing.”
Commissioner Mike Wilson, appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to be the commission’s north coast representative, agreed with Hart.
“This company is owned by the richest person in the world with direct control over the most extensive global communication system on the planet,” Wilson said. “And, just last week, that person was speaking about political retribution on a national stage. And it was very glib. But yet he was standing next to a person, a candidate, that openly promotes working to normalize that language.”
SpaceX did not return a request for comment Friday.
SpaceX and Air Force officials plan to return to the commission in December to request increasing the number of launches to 100 in 2025.
Jill McLaughlin is an award-winning journalist covering politics, environment, and statewide issues. She has been a reporter and editor for newspapers in Oregon, Nevada, and New Mexico. Jill was born in Yosemite National Park and enjoys the majestic outdoors, traveling, golfing, and hiking.