CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk, has warned the FAA that he will sue them for ‘regulatory overreach’. The conflict between both the aerospace giant and the FAA is intensifying day by day. Elon has finally responded brutally to the FAA’s proposed fine of $630,000 on SpaceX. In a post on X, musk slammed the FAA’s penalties and allegations as “more lawfare”. In addition to this, he replies, “SpaceX will be filing suit against the FAA for regulatory overreach.”
FAA’s Chief Counsel Marc Nichols said in the press release, “Safety drives everything we do at the FAA, including a legal responsibility for the safety oversight of companies with commercial space transportation licenses”.
He continues his statement: “Failure of a company to comply with the safety requirements will result in consequences.”
The Federal Aviation Administration declared Tuesday that the company violated launch requirements during two 2023 missions. The first incident, a May 2023 launch, involved SpaceX using an unapproved launch control room and failing to conduct a pre-launch poll. The second incident was during a rocket launch in July 2023, the FAA said that SpaceX used a farm that didn’t have permission to use rocket fuel.
Also, In February 2023, the FAA announced it was seeking to fine SpaceX $175,000 for failing to submit data on a Falcon 9 rocket’s trajectory ahead of a launch the previous year.
SpaceX has 30 days to respond, the FAA’s release stated.
Musk says a lot of things on X, but in this case, his threat of legal retaliation may not be an empty one.
Musk’s statement easily reveals his commitment to sue. Coupled with his previous legal actions, it further underscores the potential for a more intricate relationship with the government for the affluent CEO. Trump has also stated that, if he secures a second term, intends to appoint Musk to serve as the chairman of a “government efficiency commission.”
