SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket continues to march toward its goal of 50 missions this year from Vandenberg Space Force Base, weeks after a California Coastal Commission rejected a boost and prompted questions about the state panel’s power.

The 42nd Falcon launch of 2024 from the West Coast got off the ground shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday to deliver 20 Starlink satellites into space. An hour later, SpaceX confirmed that the satellites had separated from the rocket.

No. 42 occurred eight weeks after the Coastal Commission declined to bless the request to conduct 50 Falcon rocket launches a year from Vandenberg. The vote led to dramatic headlines about the state panel and SpaceX’s billionaire since commissioners cited Elon Musk’s politics among reasons for their rejection.

The October action led SpaceX to file a federal lawsuit while continuing to push forward with West Coast missions above the 36 limit previously sanctioned by the Coastal Commission.

The dispute centers on how to view Falcon 9 missions — federal agency activity no matter what cargo it carries, or a private company’s activity benefiting a billionaire. Commissioners want SpaceX to obtain a Coastal Development Permit, a requirement the firm and military have rejected as not legal, too costly and very time-consuming. 

“Allowing the commission to demand a CDP and conduct lengthy review of commercial space launches at a federal military base would hamstring both the national space program and the U.S. commercial space launch operators on which the program relies,” according to the Nov. 26 first-amended complaint for SpaceX’s federal lawsuit.

The state panel’s actions prompted a California lawmaker to introduce legislation, dubbed Assembly Bill 10, this week seeking to reverse the Coastal Commission’s decision. 

“#AB10 will reverse the politically-motivated decision by the California Coastal Commission to restrict SpaceX launches for the Space Force due to their hatred of Elon Musk,” Assemblyman Bill Essayli, R-Corona, posted on social media. “This dangerous and illegal decision threatens our national security and erodes the public trust we place in our officials to act in the best interest of the People — not politics.”

He introduced AB10 on Monday, the first day of the new session, stating that it’s necessary for it take immediate effect.

Weeks after the Coastal Commission rejection, the Air Force notified the agency about plans to proceed toward the goal of 50 launches for 2024.

“The Air Force reiterated that the launches ‘are critical to our country’s national security’ and comply with the regulations,” SpaceX attorneys wrote in the first-amended complaint.

The Air Force confirmed plans to continue to meet regularly with commission staff “to support conservation objections and national security requirements,” the lawsuit stated.

Some speakers at recent meetings urged the panel to stop the increase although the state panel’s powers remain limited, as staff recently noted. 

“The commission doesn’t have unilateral authority to just deny this and stop it from happening,” said Cassidy Teufel, deputy director of the Coastal Commission.

The Coastal Commission isn’t alone in airing concerns about the increased launch activity. A coalition of 10 nonprofit groups has requested that the military conduct a full analysis of various environmental impacts related to the increased activity. 

They’ve raised concerns about effects on various species, sonic boom impacts, coastal access and more.

As SpaceX and Vandenberg prepared to go above the 36-launch number, military officials restated their pledge to protect the environment. 

“The Department of the Air Force takes its environmental stewardship responsibilities seriously and is committed to protecting California coastal uses and resources,” said Rose Riley, deputy chief of media relations for the Air Force. “We believe we can meet our critical national security mission while protecting California’s natural habitat and species.”

A federal judge may need to finally settle the spat. In the lawsuit, the firm asked a federal judge to deem launches as federal agency activity and thus not required to get a Coastal Development Permit. 

A ruling could be critical. The Air Force expects to submit a new plan for up to 100 launches annually at Vandenberg. The increased activity would come as SpaceX adds a second facility — Space Launch Complex-6.

The Coastal Commission has not yet filed a response to the federal lawsuit, but is expected to do so in the coming weeks.