Elon Musk Takes On US FAA on X for Fining SpaceX ‘For Trivia’ and Not Taking Action Against Boeing for Risking Astronauts’ Lives, Says ‘Enough Is Enough’

New Delhi, September 20: Blasting the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for fining SpaceX “for trivia”, CEO and founder Elon Musk on Friday said, “enough is enough”. Taking to his social media platform X, Musk lashed out at the FAA for “attacking SpaceX for petty matters” while not taking any action against Boeing "for putting astronauts at risk".

The FAA had on Tuesday, proposed $633,009 in civil penalties against SpaceX for allegedly failing to follow its licence requirements during two launches in 2023, by statutorily-set civil penalty guidelines, a statement read. The FAA stated that SpaceX used the unapproved launch control room for the PSN SATRIA mission and did not conduct the required T-2 hour poll on June 18, 2023. Elon Musk’s X Manages To Bypass Brazil’s Ban Through Software Update, Switching to Cloudflare IP Addresses.

Elon Musk Attacks US FAA for Fining SpaceX 'For Trivia'

The agency also offered SpaceX a 30-day time to respond. “The @FAANews leadership spends their resources attacking @SpaceX for petty matters that have nothing to do with safety while neglecting real safety issues at Boeing. This is deeply wrong and puts human lives at risk,” he said. “NASA deemed the Boeing capsule unsafe for astronaut return, turning, out of necessity, to SpaceX, yet instead of fining Boeing for putting astronauts at risk, the FAA is fining SpaceX for trivia! Enough is enough,” the Tesla CEO added.

The billionaire’s comments came as Boeing’s Starliner which launched Indian-origin Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station was deemed unfit by NASA to return the astronauts. While the spacecraft returned safely to Earth without the crew, the US space agency roped in SpaceX to bring the astronauts back next year. Elon Musk Says SpaceX’s Flight 5 'Built and Ready To Fly' and Waiting for Approval by FAA, Flight 6 on Way To Be Built.

Earlier SpaceX said that for nearly two years, the company “has voiced its concerns with the FAA’s inability to keep pace with the commercial spaceflight industry”. It said that the agency does not have the resources to review licensing materials timely, but "focuses its limited resources on areas unrelated to public safety”. Musk also called FAA allegations politically motivated, and stating to file a “suit against the FAA for regulatory overreach”.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 20, 2024 02:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).