California Coastal Regulator Settles SpaceX Suit, Admits Improper Anti-Musk Bias

In this video image provided by SpaceX, a SpaceX Falcon 9 mission to launch 53 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) takes off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., on May 13, 2022. SpaceX via APCalifornia’s Coastal Commission has issued an apology to Elon Musk’s SpaceX and agreed not to require coastal development permits for the company’s rocket launch program at Vandenberg Space Force Base, ending a federal lawsuit that alleged the agency was guilty of political bias.“The Commission affirms that its function is to protect and enhance California’s coastal zone consistent with its authority under the Coastal Act and the CZMA [Coastal Zone Management Act],” the settlement reads. “The Commission agrees that it may not consider irrelevant factors in performing its function and specifically agrees that it will not take into account the perceived political beliefs, political speech, or labor practices of SpaceX or its officers in considering any regulatory action concerning SpaceX.”