California officials reject new SpaceX launches blaming Elon Musk's views

Several California officials rejected Elon Musk’s plans for SpaceX to conduct rocket launches from the state's coast.

The officials blamed Elon Musk for some of his recent social media posts.

"The plan to increase the number of rocket blasts into space up to 50 a year was rejected by the California Coastal Commission on Thursday (...) some officials citing Elon Musk’s political posts on X," reported the Los Angeles Times.

Among the topics discussed were Musk's decision to get involved in the presidential race, his role in spreading what officials called 'conspiracy theories,' his companies' track record and his views on transgender people.

"We’re dealing with a company, the head of which has aggressively injected himself into the presidential race," said commission chairman Caryl Hart.

The rejection came despite assurances from Space Force and Air Force officials that they would increase efforts to monitor the effects that rocket launches have on nearby wildlife.

The commission members thanked military officials for their role in helping to reach an agreement on future launches and for their commitment to taking steps to mitigate damage to local wildlife.

According to the Los Angeles Times, "Space Force officials don’t have to obtain a permit or permission from the California Coastal Commission for rocket launches; they only need to reach an agreement to mitigate the effects. But commissioners in recent months have questioned whether SpaceX launches, which carry private Starlink equipment on up to 87% of their flights, should be considered private activity."

The Los Angeles Times said "that would mean that Musk’s company would have to obtain permission from the California agency for launches carrying private equipment.”