Elon Musk Takes California to Court Over SpaceX Launch Dispute

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Key Takeaways

  • SpaceX has filed a lawsuit against the California Coastal Commission after being denied an expansion of its rocket launch operations.
  • The commission cited concerns over Elon Musk's political views and public statements as factors in its decision.
  • SpaceX claims the commission's actions violated its First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is taking legal action against California over a denied launch increase, alleging that Musk’s political views influenced the decision.

SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, has filed a lawsuit against the California Coastal Commission after its request to increase rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base was denied.

The lawsuit, filed October 15 in Los Angeles, comes after the commission voted (6 to 4) against allowing SpaceX to raise its annual launch cap from 36 to 50 per year from the base near Santa Barbara.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), commissioner Gretchen Newsom cited concerns over political bias and Elon Musk’s controversial public statements as reasons for the decision. The body also claims that SpaceX launches are not a federal government project and, as such, come under the supervision of the commission.

However, SpaceX disagrees with the commission, alleging it overstepped its authority by making its decision based on Musk’s political views.

In a court document, SpaceX alleges the decision violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments and argues that a government agency cannot punish a company based on the political views of its CEO. The lawsuit portrays the commission’s actions as an attempt to stifle Musk’s freedom of speech.

Musk responded to the commission’s actions on his social media platform, X, stating that the Commission’s primary job is to take care of the California coast and that it’s illegal for them to make decisions based on what they think are his political views.

Elon Musk vs. California

The lawsuit marks another chapter in Musk’s contentious relationship with California, where SpaceX and Tesla have previously clashed with regulators. The billionaire, in July, threatened to relocate his companies out of California over a new student privacy law.

Despite the Commission’s position on this matter, SpaceX’s future launches from California may still proceed, given its status as a key government contractor. Since 2013, the company has conducted its launches from the state some of which are carried out for national security and other federal agencies.