Elon Musk Says FAA Should Make Boeing Pay for Leaving Sunita Williams and Wilmore in Space, Not Fine SpaceX

SpaceX faces $633,009 fine from FAA for licensing violations, as Musk criticizes agency’s focus on non-essential issues

Hindustan Times

September 22, 2024, 1:40 PM

Last Modified: September 22, 2024, 01:41 pm

Musk responded to the post with a laughing emoji. Photo: Bloomberg

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Musk responded to the post with a laughing emoji. Photo: Bloomberg

Elon Musk is criticizing the Federal Aviation Administration for its decision to fine SpaceX instead of Boeing following a recent incident involving a NASA mission that left veteran astronauts stranded on the ISS.

In a withering tweet on X, Musk criticized the FAA for prioritizing “minor issues” over real safety concerns, accusing the agency of neglecting serious issues at Boeing while unfairly attacking SpaceX, declaring, “This is deeply wrong and puts people’s lives at risk.”

Elon Musk Space X fined by FAA

On Tuesday, September 17, the FAA imposed a $633,009 civil penalty on Musk’s SpaceX for allegedly violating licensing regulations on two separate launches dating back to 2023.

The administration said that a private American aerospace company used an unauthorized launch control room during the PSN SATRIA mission on June 18 this year.

“Safety drives everything we do at the FAA, including our legal responsibility to oversee the safety of companies with commercial space transportation licenses,” said FAA General Counsel Marc Nichols. “A company’s failure to meet safety requirements will result in consequences,” he continued, according to a press release earlier this week.

In February 2023, the company was fined $175,000 for failing to provide safety information it needed before launching a Starlink rocket in August 2022. The fine was filed on time, in accordance with FAA guidelines.

Additionally, in September 2023, the FAA concluded its investigation into SpaceX’s Starship test launch, issuing a warning to the company to implement numerous corrective measures.

Elon Musk says FAA should fine Boeing, not Space X

SpaceX has strongly denied accusations by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that the company violated US regulations during its last two launches.

In a statement released Thursday, the company rejected the FAA’s findings.

Elon Musk criticized the organization for “spending resources attacking SpaceX for minor issues that have nothing to do with safety” while turning a blind eye to Boeing and its problems.

“This is deeply wrong and puts lives at risk. NASA deemed Boeing’s capsule unsafe for astronaut return, turning to SpaceX out of necessity, but instead of fining Boeing for putting astronauts at risk, the FAA fining SpaceX for a trifle!” he added.

The Tesla owner was referring to Boeing’s Starliner plane, which recently took NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore into space.

The return was planned to take place just one week after launch, but due to technical difficulties NASA decided not to return them in the same capsule, causing a delay.

The astronauts who flew on June 5 are still stranded in space and will not return until February 2025, when the crew of Musk’s SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will rescue them on another mission.

Musk also shared a letter from SpaceX to top congressional leaders on Wednesday, saying that “these distractions continue to directly threaten national priorities and undermine the ability of American industry to innovate.”

SpaceX has made it clear that the FAA’s Office of Enterprise Space Administration is too small and not functioning properly, causing delays in processing license applications.

The company argues that the FAA places too much emphasis on issues that are not actually intended to ensure safety.