Edhat Staff
The California Coastal Commission, while demonstrating some hesitancy, has given SpaceX the nod to boost its launch frequency at Vandenberg Space Force Base to 36 per year. This increase comes with a suite of seven conditions aimed at addressing environmental concerns, which were unanimously agreed upon by the commissioners during their meeting in Calabasas on Thursday.
Local officials lobbied for the commission’s backing while some commentators expressed their reservations. Despite unanimous approval, the SpaceX proposal hit a snag when U.S. Space Force officials declined three of the environmental safeguard conditions, relating to on-base biological monitoring, specific sonic boom avoidance strategies, and off-base biological assessments for sonic booms.
Representatives from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Delta 30 highlighted the base’s dedication to environmental preservation, mentioning a staff of 40 environmental protection specialists and their access to 42 miles of coastline.
Vandenberg also aims to conduct a comprehensive environmental impact study that will assess the consequences of increasing SpaceX launches to 100 annually, focusing also on the aggregate impacts of the various launch companies operating there.
The Coastal Commission pointed out deficiencies and suggested enhancements to Vandenberg’s monitoring program, indicating a need for more detailed monitoring of the effect of launches on marine life such as seals and sea lions.
The commission’s limited purview over the launches was a point of contention, as the military categorizes all liftoffs, be they private payloads or government satellites, as federal activities, exempting SpaceX from acquiring coastal development permits. Despite this, the Commission urged the staff to continue assessing whether private SpaceX activities should require separate permits due to the growing number of private versus government satellites.
The commissioners’ call for stringent conditions reflects the need to lessen the environmental footprint of these launches. These conditions include creating a lighting management plan for nocturnal launches and improving coastal access and recreation provisions, like internet service installation at Jalama Beach County Park, informative signage, restrictions on beach closures, and a field trip initiative for Lompoc third graders.
A notable financial condition requires SpaceX to pay $20 per pound for every unrecoverable piece of marine debris its activities produce. Gathered funds will support projects and nonprofit groups involved in ocean cleanup or waste recycling.
The approval also stipulates the creation of a plan detailing communication protocols with commercial and recreational fishing operations, outlining how launch activities might impact the industry.
Doug Kern, the Executive Director of the Gaviota Coast Conservancy, urges Base leadership and SpaceX to reconsider and accept all environmental conditions. The rejected conditions required biological monitoring that the Commission characterized as standard, entirely reasonable, and plainly required for them to fulfill their statutorily required duties.
“The Space Force took the unusual tact of refusing at the outset of the public hearing to take any questions. This – in addition to the fact that SpaceX has yet to appear at any of the Commission hearings despite numerous requests – infuriated Commissioners eager for answers to questions including why the Base and SpaceX did not want to monitor biological resources,” Kern stated. “Commissioner Bochco likened the Space Force’s behavior to the Navy defying the Coastal Commission by refusing to protect whales from sonar testing. She noted that ultimately the Commission went to court, won, and the Navy changed their ways. ”
While the increased launch approval marks a significant move for SpaceX and the region’s economic landscape, the dialogue is far from over. The military is anticipated to revisit the matter in the coming months, this time with SpaceX seeking permission for up to 50 launches this year and 100 launches by 2025.
It seems to me officials are kissing the arse of Space-X and they are pretending these are helpful to the public in order to have little to no requirements to ensure our wildlife and environment safety (not to mention the noise) is protected. Only a small fraction of these launches are for anyone’s benefit except X (Musk’s) pocketbook. Please add some more facts in the article next time we talk about launches – facts about what the purpose of these launches is and whether or not they are even following the limited rules there are for them now.