The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) alleges that SpaceX committed three safety violations by failing to comply with licensing requirements during two 2023 space launches. If the full fines are imposed, SpaceX would face a bill of $633,009. FAA statement.
The license violations relate to two separate SpaceX launches. The first two occurred on June 18, 2023 PSN Satria Mission Launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The second breach occurred on July 28, 2023, regarding plans for the EchoStar XXIV/Jupiter mission.
In two cases, SpaceX asked to review part of the communications and explosive device plans, respectively. Although SpaceX has not approved or made changes to the FAA license, it has submitted its revised plans, according to the suit. Letters written by the FAA.
SpaceX claimed in May 2023 adding a new launch control room and removing the T-2 hour readiness request of its commissioning procedures on June 18, 2023. The FAA informed SpaceX on June 15 and 16 that it would not approve changes to SpaceX’s license before the planned June 18 launch, but the launch went ahead with an unauthorized control room and without a T-2 clock request. Two months later, SpaceX sent a request newly built rocket fuel farm For launch on July 28, 2023 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Once again, the FAA did not approve the modification, but the farm was used anyway during the planned launch.
SpaceX faces two fines of $175,000 for the June 18 violations and $293,009 for the July 28 violations. SpaceX has 30 days to respond in writing to the allegations. The space company may choose to hold an informal conference with an FAA attorney or submit additional information to the FAA to defend its claim. A complete list of the FAA’s fine-grained enforcement procedures is available here administration site.
This did not stop the SpaceX CEO and self-appointment “Technosis of Tesla” Elon Musk wouldn’t say how he plans to address the FAA’s proposed fines. Musk wrote in X “SpaceX to file suit against FAA for regulatory violations.”
