SpaceX hits back at FAA in scathing new letter, claiming fines were retaliation

SpaceX has released a scathing new letter that it has sent to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), criticizing its “lack of resources to timely review licensing materials” and claiming the recently announced fines of over $600,000 are retaliation for “increased scrutiny” on the Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST).

The space exploration company and the regulatory agency are clearly in a very public feud that now seems to be going in a direction that will not benefit either party.

SpaceX released a blog post earlier this month that talked about regulatory delays, and how Starship had been ready to take its fifth test flight, but the FAA had given an estimated approval date of November, well past the early August date the company had hoped and planned for.

The FAA then fined SpaceX for three different violations related to two flights, which were both launched last Summer in June and July.

Just a day after the FAA announced these fines, SpaceX has released a letter to FAA Chairs Frank Lucas and Maria Cantwell, as well as Ranking Members Zoe Lofgren and Ted Cruz.

SpaceX alleges in the letter that the AST and FAA have not been able to complete a timely review of licensing materials, and the lack of streamlining in this process has not only hurt the development of its technologies but also impacted “national security and national priorities.”

The company also claims the $633,009 in penalties could be a potential retaliation for criticism it has passed to regulatory agencies:

“Most recently, the FAA alleged that SpaceX violated its regulations and proposed a $633,009 penalty for these alleged violations. It is notable that these violations and penalties were announced shortly after increased scrutiny on AST by Congress for its failure to reasonably and timely execute its regulatory obligations. It is also notable that, in announcing these penalties, FAA’s politically appointed Chief Counsel was quoted in the FAA’s announcement on the matter. It is SpaceX’s understanding that it is highly irregular, and perhaps unprecedented, for a Chief Counsel to be quoted on an enforcement matter. SpaceX forcefully rejects the FAA’s assertion that it violated any regulations.”

CEO Elon Musk has already revealed that SpaceX will sue the FAA, claiming “regulatory overreach.”

SpaceX goes on to clap back at the FAA’s fines, breaking down each supposed violation and challenging the communication and legitimacy that the agency and the AST used to penalize that company.

Each rebuttal from SpaceX shows the FAA did not communicate in a timely fashion with the company, along with other pieces of evidence that challenge the legitimacy of the fines.

It is clear SpaceX is not going to take the fines laying down and will likely challenge the FAA at every step. Whether this will result in more streamlined approval processes for future launches remains to be seen.

One thing is clear: SpaceX has one heck of a backbone, and it will refuse to be pushed around by regulatory agencies, especially if it feels there is a political motivation behind the exentsive delays.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Joey Klender: Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his time at TESLARATI, Joey has broken several big stories, including the first images of the Tesla Model S Plaid, the imminent release of the 4680 Model Y through EPA certification, and several expansions to the Lucid AMP-1 factory in Arizona, to name a few. His stories have been featured in several publications, including Yahoo! Finance, Fox News, CNET, and Seeking Alpha. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on Twitter @KlenderJoey.
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