SpaceX blasts proposed FAA fines in complaint letter to Congress

[Elderberry]

Space.com By Mike Wall 9/19/2024

"SpaceX forcefully rejects the FAA's assertion that it violated any regulations."
 
SpaceX has taken its dispute with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to Capitol Hill.

On Tuesday (Sept. 17), the FAA announced that it plans to fine SpaceX $630,000 for allegedly skirting regulations on two launches last year. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk responded to the news that same day, declaring on X (formerly Twitter) that the company intends to sue the FAA "for regulatory overreach."

Now, the company has sent a letter to Congress contesting the proposed fine and calling out the agency for moving too slowly.

The two missions cited by the FAA were PSN SATRIA, an Indonesian communications satellite that rode to orbit atop a Falcon 9 rocket on June 18, 2023, and EchoStar XXIV/Jupiter 3, another telecom craft, which lifted off on a Falcon Heavy on July 28 of that year.

Both launches occurred on Florida's Space Coast — PSN SATRIA from SpaceX's pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and EchoStar XXIV/Jupiter 3 from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC), which is right next door.

More: https://www.space.com/spacex-letter-congress-contest-faa-fines

[Smokin Joe]

Ya think that maybe, just maybe, this dreck is purely political and aimed at the one guy who won't submit to the Ministry of Propaganda?

If I was at FAA, I'd be waxing incontinent at the thought of Elon Musk involved with any mission to reduce Government waste/incompetence/corruption.

[Elderberry]

SpaceX
@SpaceX

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 public safety.

These distractions continue to directly threaten national priorities and undercut American industry's ability to innovate.

[Smokin Joe]

It is exceedingly difficult for the Government to stop successful innovation completely.

But they sure can encumber it, slow walk permits, whip out obtuse interpretations of vague and obscure regulations, and when necessary to impede progress, they levy heavy fines.

They consider this 'doing their job'.

It isn't always a bad thing, but when applied with the sauce of political enmity, it's just an abuse of power.  How long do they want to keep those guys on the ISS, anyway?

[Elderberry]

Elon Musk reposted
ALEX
@ajtourville
·
This situation with the FAA goes far beyond a bloated bureaucracy and ineptitude – The FAA is clearly acting in bad faith for political reasons and this cannot be left to stand unopposed by Congress and the courts.

SpaceX should seek immediate injunctive relief against the FAA.

SpaceX
@SpaceX

FAA Administrator Whitaker made several incorrect statements today regarding SpaceX. In fact, every statement he made was incorrect.

It is deeply concerning that the Administrator does not appear to have accurate information immediately available to him with respect to SpaceX licensing matters.

[Smokin Joe]

I am not surprised. It seems to be the Democrat/Globalist/communist gambit to simply lie when there is nothing being done wrong if they target a company, organization, or individual, and ignore those genuine violations of law conducted by those they consider 'their own'.

They are terrified of the thought of Elon Musk participating in anything that might mean Federal waste (where the thievery and kickbacks hide) would be curtailed.