The California Coastal Commission on Thursday voted against a proposal by Elon Musk’s SpaceX to almost double its permitted annual Falcon 9 rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base, raising the limit from 50 to 95.
As with a similar vote last October when the panel opposed an increase from 36 to 50 launches-the decision can be overridden by the U.S. government. The U.S. Department of the Air Force, which oversees the Space Force, maintains that the expansion is a federal matter exempt from state regulation.
A commission staff report noted that of the 51 rockets launched from Vandenberg last year, 46 were SpaceX Falcon 9s. While some flights support U.S. defence and NASA missions, most of the proposed increase would serve SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network. The company is also seeking to expand launch operations at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Air Force officials did not attend Thursday’s meeting in Calabasas, where the panel voted 11-0 against the plan. Neither SpaceX nor the Air Force provided immediate comment. SpaceX has sued the commission over its earlier objections, alleging the agency targeted the company in retaliation for Musk’s political views.
The new plan calls for up to 95 Falcon 9 launches a year, five Falcon Heavy launches, and up to 24 landings of reusable boosters- double the current approval along with two new landing pads and more at-sea landings. Commission staff recommended rejection, citing a lack of detailed information, concerns over noise and wildlife disruption from increased sonic booms, and the impact of more frequent closures of nearby public beaches and campgrounds within launch hazard zones.
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The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
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Meta said one of its AI models hacked another company's systems during cybersecurity testing, intensifying concerns about how developers can contain increasingly capable AI systems following similar incidents involving Anthropic and OpenAI.
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