Nandini Roy Choudhury, writer
Brief news
- Elon Musk announced SpaceX will sue the FAA for “regulatory overreach” over a proposed $633,000 penalty related to launch violations.
- The FAA cited SpaceX’s use of unapproved propellant and altered communication arrangements during launches as reasons for the sanctions.
- Musk criticized the FAA’s actions as politically motivated and highlighted ongoing regulatory challenges faced by launch companies.
Detailed news
Elon Musk has announced that SpaceX will file a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration for “regulatory overreach” in response to the agency’s intention to impose a sanction on his defense contractor because of issues with two launches last year.
Musk’s threat of litigation, which was made in a post on the social media platform X on Tuesday, was in response to the FAA’s announcement that it would impose penalties of $633,000 on SpaceX for allegedly violating a variety of licensing and safety regulations during those launches.
SpaceX used a “unapproved rocket propellant farm” for its EchoStar XXIV Jupiter mission in July 2023, according to the FAA. The FAA stated that SpaceX had altered its communication arrangements and utilized a new, unapproved launch control room for its launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida one month prior.
The FAA explicitly informed SpaceX on June 16, 2023, two days prior to the launch, that the agency would not issue a modification to the SpaceX license, as indicated in a “notice of proposed civil penalty.” Nevertheless, SpaceX proceeded.
Musk and a spokesperson for SpaceX did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for further information regarding the topic of the company’s complaint.
Musk also posted comments on X, referring to the FAA’s most recent proposed civil penalties as “lawfare.”
In a post to his nearly 200 million followers, he stated, “NASA places their trust in @SpaceX for all astronaut transport to and from the [International Space Station], but somehow [FAA] leadership believes they are more knowledgeable.”
Musk stated in a separate post, “I am extremely confident that the FAA’s improper, politically motivated behavior will be revealed through discovery.”
The FAA declined to provide a response to CNBC’s inquiry.
SpaceX recently lodged a complaint on its blog regarding the “difficulties launch companies face in the current regulatory environment,” with a particular emphasis on “launch and reentry licensing.”
Last year, the FAA announced that the company would be subject to a $175,000 sanction for failing to submit the necessary data prior to the launch of the Falcon 9 in 2022. The sanction had been fully paid by SpaceX by October of last year.
The FAA was compelled to halt an approved environmental assessment of the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy in August due to Musk’s company’s failure to disclose that it had received numerous enforcement actions from Texas state and federal environmental authorities.
The FAA’s most recent proposed civil penalties underscore the agency’s challenges in obtaining the necessary information from SpaceX in a timely manner to evaluate and authorize launches and reentries.
Source CNBC News
