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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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 29th of January, covering the latest developments you need to ...
Colombian authorities on Wednesday (28 January) located a missing plane carrying 15 people in the northeast of the country, with no survivors found, an Air Force source and local media said.
Storm Kristin has killed at least five people and left more than 850,000 residents of central and northern Portugal without electricity on Wednesday (28 January), as it toppled trees, damaged homes, and disrupted road and rail traffic before moving inland to Spain.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 29th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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The S&P 500 edged to a record closing high on Tuesday, marking its fifth consecutive day of gains, as strong advances in technology stocks offset a sharp selloff in healthcare shares and a mixed batch of corporate earnings.
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Liverpool confirmed direct qualification to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 with a 6-0 win over Qarabağ at Anfield in their final league-phase match. Despite the setback, Qarabağ secured a play-off spot, with results elsewhere going in the Azerbaijani champions’ favour on the final matchday.
Iraq's former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said on Wednesday that he rejects U.S. interference in Iraq's internal affairs, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to cut off support to the country if Maliki was picked as prime minister.
China has approved the first batch of Nvidia's H200 artificial intelligence (AI) chips after Washington allowed limited sales, paving the way for major Chinese technology companies to gain access to processors that remain far ahead of domestic alternatives.
TikTok has reached a confidential settlement in a landmark lawsuit over youth mental health, leaving Meta and YouTube to face a jury in California as the first major trial of its kind gets underway.
China has successfully completed its first metal 3D printing experiment in space, marking a significant step forward in the country’s efforts to develop in-orbit manufacturing capabilities.
A faint hand outline found in an Indonesian cave has been dated to at least 67,800 years ago, making it the oldest known example of rock art and offering new insight into early human migration across Southeast Asia.
New modelling suggests Mars shapes some of Earth’s long-term orbital rhythms, including shorter eccentricity cycles and a 2.4-million-year pattern that vanishes without its gravitational pull.
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