FAA Administrator Continues to Defend Delays and Penalties

In a very recent and very public clash, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker pulled the safety card to defend SpaceX delays and fines.

This statement, made during a September 24 hearing of the House Transportation Committee, has intensified an ongoing spat between the aerospace giant and its regulatory overseers.

In the hearing, Representative Kevin Kiley questioned whether the FAA’s "undue scrutiny" on SpaceX was due to public safety concerns. He referenced a $633,000 civil penalty proposed by the FAA on September 17 for license violations during two Falcon launches in 2023, along with a two-month Starship flight delay.

Whitaker defended the FAA's actions, pointing fingers at SpaceX's alleged unauthorized launches. He claimed that the company operated without proper licensing, although SpaceX has shown proof of permits for its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches.

The FAA accused SpaceX of violating the terms of said licenses by using a new fuel farm location without further approval.

The administrator also noted that the launch delays were vital to ensure safety as the FAA continues to review SpaceX’s sonic boom analysis and potential policy breaches. This resulted in pushing the Starship launch from September to late November.

“I agree that this is a vital mission and I think SpaceX has been a very innovative company. But, I think, they are also a mature company. They’ve been around twenty years, and they need to operate at the highest level of safety,” stated Whitaker. He also recommended Whistleblower and SMS program implementation to the company.

SpaceX fired back with a letter to Kiley rejecting every single one of Whittaker’s claims. The company explained that Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS) had already reviewed Starship sonic booms and found them to have no environmental impact under 1 psf. SpaceX also clarified that it worked with the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to build its water deluge system, even allowing personnel to observe initial testing.

“FAA Administrator Whitaker made several incorrect statements today regarding SpaceX. In fact, every statement he made was incorrect,” stated SpaceX’s letter. “It is deeply concerning that the Administrator does not appear to have accurate information immediately available to him with respect to SpaceX licensing matters.”

FMI: www.spacex.com, www.faa.gov