The California government has rejected a request from the U.S. Air Force to grant permission to Elon Musk’s SpaceX for an increase in rocket launches in California. The government cited Musk’s political views as the reason for the denial.
The Air Force and Space Force have made a request to the California Coastal Commission for an increase in SpaceX’s annual permitted launches at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara. They are seeking to raise the number of launches from 36 to 50.
Commissioner Gretchen Newsom expressed her concerns about Elon Musk’s recent behavior, stating that he has been spreading political misinformation and criticizing FEMA. She also mentioned his claim to provide free Starlink internet access to hurricane victims.
“I have great admiration for the efforts of the Space Force,” expressed Commission Chair Caryl Hart during the meeting. “However, we are now addressing a company whose leader has actively involved himself in the presidential race and has managed the company in a manner that Commissioner Newsom just described as deeply troubling.”
A diverse group of members of Congress, spanning across party lines, have come together to show their support by signing a letter. This bipartisan coalition includes prominent Democrats like Pete Aguilar from Redlands and Ted Lieu from Torrance, as well as Republicans Michelle Steel from Fountain Valley and Darrell Issa from San Diego.
Commissioner Dayne Bocho expressed his belief that the Space Force has not successfully demonstrated that SpaceX is an integral part of the federal government and our defense, emphasizing the need for a rationale beyond political considerations.
NASA currently lacks its own active vehicles for transporting goods or humans to space. As a result, it relies on either Russia or American commercial partners like SpaceX, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and United Launch Alliance, which is a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
Boeing’s Starliner embarked on its inaugural manned mission to the International Space Station in June. Originally planned as an eight-day journey, the mission has extended to eight months due to safety concerns with the Starliner capsule. Consequently, NASA had to rely on a Russian Soyuz capsule to transport the astronauts back to Earth. To rectify the situation, NASA subsequently dispatched a SpaceX Dragon capsule to retrieve the stranded astronauts.
Boeing, known for its extensive outsourcing and offshoring practices, has faced significant challenges in recent years. With 70% of its design, engineering, and manufacturing processes being carried out by external parties, the company has encountered reliability issues and suffered substantial financial losses. Over the course of five years, Boeing has incurred a staggering $33 billion in losses.
These setbacks came as a result of concerns surrounding the design, maintenance, and training of its latest and highly popular aircraft, the 737 Max 8, which tragically experienced two fatal crashes.
“Congressman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, voiced his concerns about the actions of Governor Newsom, stating that he believes Newsom’s decisions have led to SpaceX relocating its headquarters from California.
In addition, Kiley criticized the Coastal Commission for denying SpaceX’s launch plan, suggesting that the commissioners’ disapproval may be influenced by their disagreement with Elon Musk’s political posts.”
Advocates of the First Amendment were puzzled by the legality of taking into account Musk’s politically protected speech in regulatory actions.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a pro-First Amendment legal nonprofit, stated that although the commission has the authority to consider the nature of SpaceX’s activities and their impact on the environment, it is prohibited by the First Amendment from using regulatory power to suppress protected speech.
They emphasized that this principle applies across various situations, citing examples such as the punishment of Disney by the Florida government for opposing Governor Ron DeSantis’s education policies, and a New York agency pressuring insurance companies to sever ties with the NRA due to its political advocacy. Therefore, the same principle holds true in this case.
Pro-housing advocates, who have been grappling with the CCC for a long time over its delays and denial of housing in high-demand areas, expressed their disagreement with Musk. However, they were even more opposed to the CCC vote.
Armand Domalewski, co-founder of YIMBYs for Harris, expressed his disbelief at the California Coastal Commission’s ability to override the US Air Force due to its disapproval of Elon Musk’s tweets. Despite not being a fan of Musk, Domalewski finds it absurd that the Commission has such power and considers it a rogue agency.
Elon Musk announced that he will file a lawsuit against the CCC on Tuesday, once the courts reopen. This dispute arises at a time when SpaceX accomplished a significant milestone over the weekend by successfully relanding a component of its “Starship” rocket for future reuse. This achievement is a crucial step in SpaceX’s mission to reduce the cost of space travel.