Newsom: ‘I’m with Elon’ on More California Rocket Launches
Musk wants to increase annual allowed launches from Vandenberg from 36 to 50 in a year.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2024 – California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is seeing eye to eye with Elon Musk, a big Donald Trump backer, on a key issue.
Gary Bolton
Newsom sided with Musk after a California state agency voted on Tuesday to block efforts by Musk’s SpaceX rocket company from increasing launches from California’s Santa Barbara County-based Vandenberg Space Force Base to 50 per year.
“I’m with Elon,” Newsom said. Newsom argued that the California Coastal Commission should exercise impartiality.
In response, Musk filed suit against the California Coastal Commission on Tuesday, alleging that its decision was based on political discrimination.
Despite recent sparring with Musk, Newsom sided with the tech leader in a Thursday interview.
Newsom asserted that the Coastal Commission’s 6-4 decision to impose a moratorium on more Falcon 9 launches expressed political bias.
“These are good commissioners. But you got to call balls and strikes. And trust me, I’m not big on the Elon Musk bandwagon right now. So that’s me calling balls and strikes,” said Newsom.
The California Coastal Commission cited Musk’s political affiliation as reasoning behind its rejection. Agency Commissioner Gretchen Newsom specifically cited the spread of dangerous political falsehoods as a matter of consideration.
Currently, SpaceX is permitted 36 rocket launches per year from Vandenberg.
