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California Coastal Commission issues apology to Elon Musk, SpaceX

May 1, 2026

Elon Musk

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

As part of a settlement with Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX, the California Coastal Commission issued an apology for remarks its commissioners made about Musk last year, specifically for letting their political beliefs about the CEO influence their regulatory decision-making. [Washington Examiner]

On Oct. 10, 2024, the Coastal Commission held a hearing on Space X’s Falcon 9 launch program at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. 

The commission rejected SpaceX’s plan to increase the number of Falcon 9 launches at the base, arguing the launches constituted political activity subject to state coastal regulations.

Shortly after the hearing, SpaceX sued the Coastal Commission. The complaint stated the commission’s decision was rooted in animosity toward SpaceX and the political beliefs of its CEO.

Commissioner Caryl Hart, who served as the Coastal Commission chair in 2024, said Musk “aggressively injected himself into the presidential race and made it clear what his point of view is.”

Commissioner Gretchen Newsom said Musk was “hopping around the country, spewing and tweeting political falsehoods.”

In a settlement filed last month in federal court, the Coastal Commission apologized for comments commissioners made about Musk.

“The Commission acknowledges that Commissioners made statements, including during their October 10, 2024, hearing on the Base’s Falcon 9 launch program, that showed political bias against SpaceX and its Chief Executive Officer and were improper,” the Coastal Commission stated in the settlement agreement. “The Commission apologizes for those statements.”

Additionally, the Coastal Commission agreed not to let political perception of SpaceX impact any regulatory action against the company that it may consider.

“The Commission agrees that it may not consider irrelevant factors in performing its function and specifically agrees that it will not take into account the perceived political beliefs, political speech, or labor practices of SpaceX or its officers in considering any regulatory action concerning SpaceX,” the Coastal Commission stated.

Prior to the settlement, the U.S. Space Force had disregarded the Coastal Commission’s ruling and proceeded with the expanded Falcon 9 launch schedule. SpaceX has launch contracts with both the Air Force and Space Force.

The Coastal Commission will no longer require coastal permits for most launches at the Space Force facility. 

 


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“the U.S. Space Force had disregarded the Coastal Commission’s ruling and proceeded with the expanded Falcon 9 launch schedule.”

Last I checked the base is considered Federal property, not State property, which I would bet is why the base pays no attention to what the coastal commission has to say about their launch schedule.


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It would be consistent with the Coastal Act if the commission’s actual goal was to preserve the coastline for future generations. But the commission is 100% political and few of the commissioners, if any, have much knowledge of community planning, science or actual environmental issues. It’s why they are overturned so often. It’s high time that the commission is dissolved, the Act be reviewed for relevance and modified as needed and new bylaws and legislation as to who can be appointed to the commission.


And while it’s likely impossible to hire staff who are not druids from a pool of CA university graduates, casting the net further in order to hire real scientists and planners who can read and follow legislation would be a good thing.


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