The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigated SpaceX for alleged regulatory violations, but the company ignored it. In a letter to Congress, SpaceX hit back at the FAA, criticizing its inability to keep pace with the evolving aerospace industry and suggesting its decision was political.
SpaceX released copies of its letters to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology and the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in which it objects to the FAA’s proposed $633,009 civil penalty for licensing violations. The letter accuses the FAA of moving too slowly in approving smaller license renewals and lacking the resources to review license materials in a timely manner.
“For nearly two years, SpaceX has expressed concerns about the FAA’s inability to keep pace with the commercial aerospace industry,” the company wrote on X. Irrelevant areas have limited resources.
Earlier this week, the FAA announced it was seeking a hefty fine from Musk’s private rocket company. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accused SpaceX of failing to meet multiple licensing requirements while continuing to launch.
During a Falcon 9 launch on June 18, 2023, the FAA claimed that SpaceX added a new launch control room without prior approval and skipped the first two steps of the launch. Hours of required readiness inspection. The second launch mentioned by the FAA occurred on July 28, 2023, and included the launch of the EchoStar JUPITER 3 broadband communications satellite aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket. According to the FAA, SpaceX used unapproved fuel depots as propellant for its rockets.
“Regarding these issues, it is worth noting that in each incident, SpaceX provided AST [the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation] “We gave adequate notice of these relatively minor license updates, which had no impact on public safety,” SpaceX wrote in the letter. “The fact that AST was unable to process these minor updates in a timely manner highlights the systemic nature of AST’s challenge.”
SpaceX further claimed in the letter that the FAA’s recent decision to fine the company was driven by the agency’s need to move on from its own failings. “It is important to note that these violations and penalties were announced shortly after Congress intensified scrutiny of AST’s failure to meet its regulatory obligations in a reasonable and timely manner,” the letter reads.
The accusation directly reflects Musk’s views on regulatory agencies such as the FAA. “I am very confident that this discovery will demonstrate inappropriate, politically motivated behavior by the FAA,” Musk wrote on X. The SpaceX founder and CEO prefers to stick to the company’s fast-paced schedule for rocket launches , and often await safety reviews and await FAA clearance.
SpaceX has been preparing for the fifth flight of its Starship rocket since the most recent launch in June. However, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently revealed that it would not grant Starship a launch license until the end of November, pending safety, environmental and other licensing requirements.
In a blog update, SpaceX claimed that Starship has been ready to fly since August. “Starships need to fly. The safer we fly, the faster we learn; and the faster we learn, the sooner we can achieve full, rapid reuse of rockets. “Unfortunately, we are still stuck in the reality that managing rockets The government paperwork for a launch permit takes longer than designing and manufacturing the actual hardware. “
SpaceX added in its blog post: “This situation should never happen and directly threatens America’s position as a leader in space.” The battle between ambitious rocket billionaires and bureaucratic regulators continues continues, but the industry’s continued growth shows that change is soon inevitable.
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