The Federal Aviation Administration announced that SpaceX failed to meet requirements for safe rocket launches in two separate incidents in 2023.
Photo: SpaceX
Space X was fined for safety incidents during the launch of Falcon Heavy rockets.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says SpaceX used an unauthorized control center and fuel farm at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida during launches of the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. For these violations, the FAA fined SpaceX $633,009, the largest fine the FAA has ever levied in a commercial space division.
Incidents that led to a fine
The first breach occurred on June 18, 2023, when SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying an Indonesian communications satellite. The company used a new control center in the Hangar X facility at the Kennedy Space Center, but it was not approved by the FAA. In addition, the SpaceX team did not conduct a mandatory readiness poll two hours before launch, another violation of the rules.
SpaceX did ask the FAA to approve the use of the new control center and to drop the readiness check from its procedures before this launch. However, the FAA informed the company that it would not approve the changes in time. Nevertheless, SpaceX continued with the mission.
The second incident took place a month later when SpaceX launched the Falcon Heavy rocket. In this case, the company used an unauthorized fuel farm on launch pad 39A. As with the previous incident, SpaceX asked the FAA to update its license to reflect this change, but the FAA informed them that it would not approve the change before the planned launch.
The FAA emphasizes that violations of safety requirements can have serious consequences, and therefore it is their duty to ensure the safety of the public and the aviation industry. “Safety is our priority in everything we do,” said FAA General Counsel Marc Nichols. He added that companies that do not comply will face consequences.
Elon Musk is furious
Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX announced via his social media platform X that SpaceX plans to file a lawsuit against the FAA for what he described as a “legal war” against his company. “SpaceX will file a lawsuit against the FAA for excessive regulatory interference,” Musk said.
This isn’t the first time Musk has criticized regulators for allegedly holding back progress. In recent weeks, he also accused the FAA of delaying another test flight of the giant Starship rocket for “unjustified and frustrating reasons.” The FAA said it does not expect a decision on whether to grant a commercial license for Starship’s next launch until late November, which is two months later than originally anticipated.
Musk, who is supporting former President Donald Trump in the presidential election, has criticized several regulatory measures, including those related to spaceflight. Trump has said publicly that if re-elected, he would like to appoint Musk to the “Commission on Government Efficiency.”
The FAA is facing pressure from SpaceX and other players in the commercial space industry to increase its capacity and handle the increasing pace of rocket launches. Congress recently approved an increase in the FAA’s budget for commercial space activities to $42 million, allowing the FAA to hire about 35 new employees. In 2024, the FAA commercial division will reach a total of 158 employees. President Biden’s administration has requested another budget increase for the division in 2025.
SpaceX has 30 days to respond to the FAA’s allegations. Whether Elon Musk will actually file a lawsuit against the FAA or decide to pay the fine is not yet clear. However, tensions between the rapidly expanding space company and the regulatory agency continue to grow, which could affect future space missions and technology development. This situation also shows how complicated the relationship between commercial space companies and regulatory authorities is.
Source: vat.pravda.sk
