Elon Musk’s Vow to Take Legal Action Against California Coastal Commission: A Detailed Look at Recent Controversies.
In a recent turn of events involving SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, he has vowed to take legal action against the California Coastal Commission after they denied a request for an increase in launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The agency cited Musk’s political statements and support for Donald Trump as reasons for their decision.
The California Coastal Commission voted 6-4 against a request from the U.S. Space Force to allow SpaceX to increase the number of launches of its Falcon 9 rocket at Vandenberg Space Force Base from 36 to 50 per year. This has led to outrage from Elon Musk, who has threatened to file a lawsuit against the commission for allegedly violating his First Amendment rights.
During the meeting, commissioner Gretchen Newsom expressed concerns over Musk’s political posts on social media and the working conditions at SpaceX. Commission Chair Caryl Hart acknowledged that while the commission was dealing with a political matter to some extent, as it involved the U.S. government and the Coastal Commission, Musk had “aggressively injected himself into the presidential race.
Musk responded to the decision on Twitter, calling the commissioners’ comments “incredibly inappropriate” and asserting that his posts on the platform had nothing to do with the Coastal Commission or SpaceX launches. He announced his intention to file a lawsuit against the commission for violating the First Amendment, later clarifying that he would file on Tuesday since courts are closed on Monday.
The commission also disagreed with SpaceX and the military’s characterization of the launches as federal agency activities, which would exempt the company from obtaining a permit to carry out launches. Commissioners argued that SpaceX was primarily a private company and should therefore have to obtain a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) itself.
Despite the disagreement, some commissioners commended the military’s recent efforts in working with staff on environmental issues. The commission also noted serious concerns about potential impacts on the local environment caused by the rockets’ sonic booms. Dr. Ravi Chaudhary, an assistant secretary of the Air Force, assured the hearing that the Space Force remained committed to protecting the coastline and local coastal species.