The California Coastal Commission has rejected the Space Force's plans for Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch critical satellites from Vandenberg Air Force Base because the agency doesn't like Musk's politics. One committee member argued that SpaceX should not be allowed to support U.S. military space operations because Musk is “actively participating in the presidential campaign.”
politiko report The California Coastal Commission voted 6-4 Thursday to reject the Air Force's plan to allow SpaceX to launch up to 50 rockets a year from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County. The decision is a blow to the aerospace company's ambitions, with commissioners citing concerns about Elon Musk's political rhetoric and SpaceX's classification as a military contractor.
During a meeting in San Diego, Secretary Gretchen Newsom criticized Musk's actions, saying, “Elon Musk flies around the country claiming he wants to help hurricane victims get free access to Starlink internet. “He's spewing political falsehoods, tweeting them, and attacking FEMA.” ” The commission is known for being a fierce advocate of public access to California's coastline and has continued discussions with the Air Force Space Command starting in May 2023 regarding SpaceX's proposed increase in satellite launches from Vandenberg. was going on.
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A key point of contention was the Air Force's request that SpaceX not have to obtain its own permits even for launches without military payloads. “I believe the Space Force has not been able to demonstrate that SpaceX is part of the federal government and part of our national defense,” Secretary Dana Bochco said. expressed.
In August, the committee announced plans to increase SpaceX's launch frequency from six to 36 per year, conditional on the Space Force agreeing to seven measures aimed at protecting the environment and improving coastal access. approved. However, military officials did not abide by these conditions during the hearing, prompting harsh criticism from commissioners.
While there appeared to be a turnaround in September when the Air Force agreed to meet the commission's seven conditions, the goodwill dissipated during Thursday's meeting. Commissioners raised concerns about Musk's political comments, the company's work history and SpaceX's classification as a military contractor.
Committee Chair Caryl Hart acknowledged the Space Force's activities, but expressed concerns about Musk's involvement in the presidential election and management of the company. “I am so grateful for the work of the Space Force,” Hart said. “But what we're dealing with here is a company whose president is active in the presidential campaign and who runs the company in the way that Secretary Newsom just described. I find that very concerning.”
via NASA Storyful
Commissioner Justin Cummings voted to approve the plan, but shared concerns about the lack of data on the impact of the launch and SpaceX's classification as a military contractor. “I would like to thank all the work done in this endeavor to achieve 50 launches,” he said.
SpaceX officials did not attend the hearing in person, instead issuing a statement via Zoom supporting the Space Force's request. The company has not yet responded to a request for comment on the commission's decision.
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Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship issues.
