Billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX is facing a California commission accusing its commissioners of political bias for blocking the space venture from increasing the number of rockets it launches from an air base in the state. filed suit in federal court.
SpaceX on Tuesday sued the California Coastal Commission in Los Angeles, seeking an order barring it from regulating its flagship Falcon 9 launch program at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara.
The lawsuit alleges that the commission, which oversees land and water use within the state's more than 1,000 miles of coastline, improperly asserted regulatory authority over the company's launches based on its disapproval of Musk's political views. did.
The agency said at its Oct. 10 meeting that commercial space launches are not federal activities and must be submitted to the commission's coastal development permitting authority.
Lawyers for the commission, SpaceX and law firm Venable did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday morning.
Musk, whose politics have shifted significantly to the right, supported Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, became a major donor, campaigned for the former president, and said he would accept a role in the Trump administration if Trump wins. said.
California has become a solidly Democratic state in recent decades, with the party having offices throughout the state and supporting Democratic presidential candidates in recent elections.
A member of the 12-member Coastal Commission recently accused Musk, who has become increasingly vocal in the presidential campaign, of “spouting and tweeting political falsehoods.”
Musk's lawsuit argued that any review of his public statements was inappropriate and violated his constitutionally protected speech rights.
The commission also condemned the launches at the base as an “unconstitutional overreach” that violated U.S. national security and other federal interests, saying the launches “have no significant impact on coastal resources.” said.
“Rarely has a government agency made it clearer that it is beyond its authority to punish a company for the political views or statements of its largest shareholder and chief executive,” the paper said.
SpaceX has launched Falcon 9 rockets from California's Central Air Force Base since 2013. The Air Force is proposing to increase the number of SpaceX launches from 36 to 50.
