FAA Issues Citation to SpaceX for Unapproved Mission Changes

On Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed a series of fines amounting to $633,009 against SpaceX, citing two instances where the company allegedly conducted launches with unapproved changes that violated its license and bypassed a required step. In response to these allegations, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk indicated potential legal action against the agency, accusing it of “regulatory overreach.”

According to the FAA, one set of fines, totaling $350,000, pertains to a June 18, 2023, launch. In this instance, SpaceX reportedly utilized an unapproved launch control room for the PSN SATRIA mission and omitted the mandated “T-2 hour readiness poll.” Although SpaceX had requested approval for these changes in May, the FAA claims the company never received it.

Additionally, the FAA alleges that SpaceX sought approval for a new rocket propellant farm in July but proceeded with the launch of an EchoStar Jupiter communications satellite on July 28, 2023, without waiting for the necessary clearance. For this instance, the FAA has proposed a fine of $283,009.

FAA Chief Counsel Marc Nichols stated, “Safety drives everything we do at the FAA, including a legal responsibility for the safety oversight of companies with commercial space transportation licenses. Failure of a company to comply with the safety requirements will result in consequences.”

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