Last month the California Coastal Commission heard public comments regarding the Department of Air Force application for increased launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB).
The Coastal Commission acknowledged SpaceX as a private enterprise, not a federal agency, and must accept reasonable conditions to safeguard coastal resources. The Air Force, which is the official applicant, refused conditions that would protect sensitive environments on and around Vandenberg from impacts of engine noise, sonic booms, and excessive lighting.
The majority of launches will be for SpaceX, which declined all three Coastal Commission invitations to attend. SpaceX wants 50 launches annually by October 2024 and will request 100 launches annually in 2025. As of July 2024, there were 6,281 Starlink satellites in orbit. A Starlink satellite has a lifespan of approximately five years, and SpaceX eventually hopes to have as many as 42,000 satellites, according to Astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who tracks this so-called megaconstellation.