SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, plans to sue FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), accusing the agency of "regulatory overreach." Musk announced Tuesday that the lawsuit comes in response to recent fines and restrictions imposed by the FAA.
This move follows a series of regulatory clashes between SpaceX and the FAA. Most recently, the FAA alleged that SpaceX violated launch requirements during two missions in 2023, proposing fines of up to $630,000. The violations included using an unapproved launch control room during a May mission and an unauthorized rocket fuel supplier in a July launch. Both incidents involved commercial satellite launches: the PSN SATRIA and EchoStar XXIV/Jupiter missions.
Musk took to social media platform X, dismissing the proposed penalties as “lawfare” and confirming that SpaceX would file a lawsuit to challenge what he perceives as excessive government interference. He previously criticized regulatory delays in a statement that blamed the government's lengthy licensing process for postponing a Starship test flight, calling the environmental reviews unnecessary.
The FAA defended its actions, emphasizing that safety is its primary concern. "Failure of a company to comply with safety requirements will result in consequences," said Marc Nichols, the FAA’s Chief Counsel. The agency maintains that SpaceX must adhere to safety protocols, as required for companies holding commercial space transportation licenses.
SpaceX has faced similar fines before. Earlier this year, the FAA fined the company $175,000 for not submitting required data before a Falcon 9 launch. Despite regulatory setbacks, SpaceX achieved 96 successful missions in 2023, solidifying its role as a critical player in the commercial space industry. Last week, SpaceX made headlines with a groundbreaking commercial spacewalk by a civilian crew.
SpaceX has 30 days to respond to the FAA’s latest actions formally.