Of course they did
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California Denies Launching Rights to SpaceX Because Musk Supports Trump--Really
David Strom, HotAir:
The Commissars of California are so concerned about enforcing political uniformity that they are denying the military's right to launch from Vandenburg Air Force Base using SpaceX rockets.
Why? Elon Musk owns Twitter/X, and he is a supporter of Donald Trump.
When the Biden administration dropped Starlink from its rural broadband subsidy program, they at least came up with an implausible lie to explain their reasoning. The California Coastal Commission, being in Deep Blue California, can openly admit that they just don't like Elon Musk.
National Security be damned. Musk is an evil Republican.
SpaceX’s plans to launch more rockets from the California coast were rejected by a state commission this week, with some officials citing Elon Musk’s political posts on X and raising concerns about the billionaire’s labor record at his companies.
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 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.
“This is the California Coastal Commission, which ostensibly is supposed to protect the coastal environment, not protect unions or monitor political opinions.”
Among the issues raised were Musk’s decision to insert himself in the presidential race, his spreading of conspiracy theories, the labor record of his companies and derogatory comments he has made about the transgender community.
“We’re dealing with a company, the head of which has aggressively injected himself into the presidential race,” commission Chair Caryl Hart said.
Military officials argue that launches by SpaceX, a leading contractor at Vandenberg Space Force Base, should be considered a federal activity because all of its launches benefit military objectives, regardless of whether the payloads being carried by the rockets are for the government or for Musk’s private satellite internet company, Starlink.
As such, 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.
“Starlink, by the way, has a significant relationship with the US military, carrying quite a bit of data and providing communications in remote areas where high-bandwidth connections are vital. Ask the Ukrainians or the residents of North Carolina how useful Starlink is. Both the civilians in need and the emergency responders--including the National Guard--depend on Starlink.”
Military officials have gone before the commission repeatedly this year to try to significantly increase the number of SpaceX launches, and officials said they plan to once again ask for another increase — for up to 100 annually — by early next year. But Musk’s recent social media posts, and his growing presence and influence in national and global affairs, have become a concern by commission members considering an agreement that would see SpaceX increase its activities in California.
“This company is owned by the richest person in the world with direct control of what could be the most expansive communications system in the planet,” Commissioner Mike Wilson said. “Just last week that person was talking about political retribution.”
Wilson asked how could members of the commission be assured that equipment being launched would benefit U.S. interests if most of it was for the benefit of a private company.
“Elon Musk is hopping about the country, spewing and tweeting political falsehoods and attacking [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] while claiming his desire to help hurricane victims with free Starlink access to the internet,” Commissioner Gretchen Newsom said.
The left is quite literally totalitarian in intent. They want to control every aspect of your life, including what you can say and think, where you live, what you drive, what you eat, and what fuel you use to cook. They will cripple national security and try to ruin a business to control the speech of a business owner.
The CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION wants to control satellite internet availability FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD based on the political speech of Elon Musk.
Elon Musk is one of the most important partners of the US military. SpaceX launches the vast majority of mass into space and does so inexpensively. Without SpaceX, the United States would be crippled, nearly denied access to orbit. Yet a bunch of leftist environmentalists is holding America hostage because they don't like Elon.
(FWIW): Meanwhile, Musk continues to revolutionize rocketry and space exploration, accomplishing what NASA has not been able to despite spending billions and billions (and more billions) on its failed attempts.
Space X successfully catches Falcon Super Heavy rocket booster in ‘Mechazilla arms’
Elon Musk’s SpaceX made an incredible advancement in capability Sunday morning when it launched its Starship rocket — and then managed to catch the Super Heavy booster in the “Mechazilla arms” on the launch pad.
The successful test launch — the fifth for the Starship rocket — included the first test of the ability to catch the 20-story tall reusable booster at the Starbase pad near Brownsville, Texas.
