FAA chief says SpaceX needs to operate at 'highest level of safety'

25/9/2024 6:22

        Elon Musk's SpaceX must operate at the "highest level of safety," the head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday as he defended a
        proposed $633,000 fine against the company for violating the agency's rules ahead of two launches in 2023.
        
        "SpaceX has been a very innovative company," FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a hearing before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee. "They've been around 20 years, and I think they need to operate at the highest level of safety and that includes adopting (safety management system)
        program, that includes having a whistleblower program."
        
        "They launched without a permit," Whitaker said, referring to SpaceX launches in June and July of last year in Cape Canaveral, Florida. "It's the only tool we have to get compliance on safety matters ... I think safety is in the public interest, and that's our primary focus."
        
        The FAA said SpaceX's violations included a failure to obtain approval to revise the communications plan related to its license for the June 2023 launch of a rocket carrying an Indonesian telecommunications satellite.