SpaceX is once again at odds with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), escalating a long-standing dispute over regulatory oversight.
The FAA recently proposed fines totaling US$633,009 against SpaceX for alleged violations during two rocket launches in mid-2023. The agency claims that SpaceX failed to obtain proper approvals for key changes made to launch protocols. These violations included using an unapproved launch control room and skipping mandatory pre-launch readiness checks.
However, SpaceX is fighting back, asserting that the FAA’s claims are politically motivated and that the agency is out of step with the rapidly growing commercial space industry.
The FAA’s primary concerns stem from two specific launches. The first, a Falcon 9 mission in June 2023, allegedly used a launch control room without prior approval. Additionally, SpaceX reportedly skipped a mandatory readiness poll of controllers two hours before liftoff, a key step outlined in their original communications plan.
The second violation occurred during a Falcon Heavy launch in July 2023, where SpaceX used an unapproved propellant tank farm to fuel the rocket. The FAA argues that these deviations from the agreed-upon launch plans compromised safety protocols and violated federal regulations.
Following the announcement, Musk said SpaceX would sue the FAA for regulatory overreach. While a lawsuit has yet to be filed, SpaceX has written a strongly-worded letter to congressional leaders.
In the letter, shared by SpaceX on , the company has rejected the FAA’s claims, arguing that the agency is incapable of keeping pace with the commercial space sector’s rapid development. SpaceX’s Vice President of Legal, David Harris, emphasized that the changes made were minor and posed no risk to public safety.
SpaceX further claims that they had notified the FAA of these changes well in advance, but the agency failed to process the updates in a timely manner.
According to SpaceX, the approval process for the communications plan, including the use of a new control center, dragged on for months, only receiving approval long after the launch took place. Similarly, the company asserts that the propellant tank farm was approved by other safety authorities, and its use was later sanctioned by the FAA for future launches, proving there was no safety concern.
SpaceX also argues that the FAA’s focus on these “trivial” matters is distracting from more significant safety issues in the industry. Musk publicly criticized the FAA for allegedly neglecting real safety concerns at Boeing while targeting SpaceX for minor infractions, calling the fines against SpaceX politically motivated.
The FAA maintains that it is acting in the best interest of public safety and that its enforcement actions are not politically motivated.
You can read the full letter below.
For nearly two years, SpaceX has voiced its concerns with the FAA’s inability to keep pace with the commercial spaceflight industry. It is clear that the Agency lacks the resources to timely review licensing materials, but also focuses its limited resources on areas unrelated to… pic.twitter.com/2NJu00ZLiW
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 19, 2024
