California regulators on Thursday rejected a U.S. military plan to increase SpaceX launches from a Southern California base, amid an ongoing lawsuit from CEO Elon Musk related to a previous vote.
California Coastal Commission members voted unanimously to oppose the U.S. Space Force’s application to increase SpaceX launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base from 50 to 100 annually. They said that military officials failed to provide data on potential impacts on local wildlife and neighboring towns, while avoiding the direct discussion of Musk that spurred a rebuke from Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) last year.
“There are a number of unanswered questions that make it really quite impossible for us to engage,” said Vice Chair Caryl Hart. “We see no appearance by U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force or SpaceX to answer the questions.”
It’s the second time the commission, which has jurisdiction over development on 1,100 miles of California coastline, has opposed plans to increase the frequency of SpaceX launches in Santa Barbara County.
