SpaceX reached an agreement to end its lawsuit against a California agency that allegedly targeted the company over the political views of billionaire CEO Elon Musk.
A joint court filing Friday by SpaceX and the California Coastal Commission said the parties have reached a conditional agreement to settle all claims and dismiss the case.
The terms of the agreement were filed under seal. The joint filing said the terms would be made public if Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. of the US District Court for the Central District of California agrees to retain jurisdiction over the case.
The provisional accord ends a two-year-old case brought by the aerospace company,
The settlement comes as SpaceX prepares for a record-breaking initial public offering that could top a $2 trillion valuation.
Blumenfeld last year allowed SpaceX to advance parts of the lawsuit, ruling that the company had enough evidence to show the commission’s vote was targeting it over Musk’s support of President Donald Trump during the 2024 election. The board had voted 6-4 against raising the annual number of launches permitted at the base from 36 to 50, according to SpaceX. The lawsuit cited statements made by commissioners who criticized Musk.
A spokesperson for the California Coastal Commission declined to comment until the settlement terms are made public. SpaceX didn’t immediately responded to request for comment.
Venable LLP represents SpaceX.
The case is Space Exploration Technologies Corp. v. California Coastal Commission, C.D. Cal., No. 2:24-cv-08893, 4/17/26.
(Updates to include California Coastal Commission spokesperson declining to comment in seventh paragraph.)
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