Dispute Over More Vandenberg Launches Continues in Front of the State Coastal Commission
John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – Despite issues over the purpose for launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base, the goal to get launch numbers up for SpaceX continues to be at odds with the California Coastal Commission.
The Commission meets this week in Calabasas with the Vandenberg issue set for Thursday. There is a 177-page report on the current status, plans and positions.
Meetings earlier this year and last year about the topic drew comments from outspoken residents who are unhappy when the boosters from the Falcon 9 rockets come down both on offshore platforms and an on-base location that creates a sonic boom.
The increased rocket launches are expected to be close to 100 per year. Not all create sonic booms.
The other key issue is the impacts on marine life along the coast. Vandenberg says it is studying the issue and preparing a report as it relates to the launches, and sonic booms.
A sound study by Brigham Young University and Cal State Bakersfield shows impacts from the sounds are mainly detected in Southern Santa Barbara County and Ventura County.
Vandenberg says the study “collects data from up to 28 acoustic monitoring stations across 500 square miles encompassing Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties. The study seeks to inform how launch trajectory, rocket size and atmospheric conditions influence the sonic boom footprint south and southeast of VSFB during the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent. “
Vandenberg and the commission dispute where the line is drawn between rocket launches for the Starlink program for increased cell phone reliability and rocket launches for Department of Defense programs.
Most of the launches are in a low earth orbit and very visible from Southern California. The booster rocket separation and drop down to the ocean are often seen with the naked eye at night.
Boosters can come down in a safe way to be reused both off Baja California or at the Santa Barbara County base. Right now it is one booster. A launch pad change on the base for the Falcon Heavy rocket would bring back two boosters.
The launch schedule has gone up dramatically in the last two years.
SpaceX is a federal contractor and says the commission does not have an oversight, even though the commission does not agree that the launches are all covered by this interpretation.
Since early this month, 38 rocket launches have taken place at the base. 33 of them were connected to SpaceX.
Four more are scheduled between today and August 22.
At Santa Barbara’s Shoreline Park, there were many people familiar with or annoyed by the sonic booms. Rebecca Goebel was out walking her dog and said, “the boom is the scariest. It definitely scares us. The house shakes the dog, my dog kind of knows it and gets freaked out.”
One resident said more advanced notice would ease her nerves. Judy Light said, “there’s so much going on in the world right now. I would like to know it would be very helpful. to get a text and to know this is happening.”
The starlink satellites can help with telecommunications in underserved countries and when hearing that, it slightly changes the opinions of some of the people who are annoyed by the sonic booms.
Linda Locker said, “if it is to help people I am all for it, but for people living close by it is extremely disruptive and intrusive. “
A visitor familiar with the project, Carol Epstein said, “so if they can help with the satellites and with communications you know, global communications is very important, some of these poor other countries have none.”
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