The potential US Secretary of Transportation promised to deal with SpaceX fines and eliminate the space bureaucracy

This week, Congress held confirmation hearings for new ministers nominated by new US President Donald Trump. Among others, Congress heard the nominee for Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, whose office includes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The department literally holds the keys to space – it issues launch licenses and fines violators. And it became a hindrance.

Image source: SpaceX

In September 2024, a scandal between FAA officials and SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, spilled into the public space. The reason was the department’s fine of $633,009 for two alleged launch license violations committed in June 2024. SpaceX said there were no grounds for penalties, and Musk publicly called on the head of the FAA to resign.

During the hearing, two Republican congressmen reminded the candidate and those present that the Department of Transportation should promote the development of the space industry in the United States, and not hinder it, including through imposing fines. In response, Sean Duffy stated, “I am committed to looking into the situation and cooperating with you in tracking space launches and FAA activities.”

Duffy also promised to review the fines imposed on SpaceX and systematically approach the problem of delays in issuing flight permits.

As for the FAA and licensing, this is handled by a relatively small staff within the Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST), which is part of the FAA. According to rumors, Donald Trump may initiate the removal of AST from the management. He or the Secretary of Transportation would not need congressional authorization to do so. Until the mid-1990s, the issuance of licenses was handled by a separate office within the ministry, and this can again be made an independent office with a simple order. It is expected that such a move will reduce bureaucratic obstacles for the space industry.

admin

Share
Published by
admin

Recent Posts

China’s XPeng Releases $20,000 MONA M03 Max Electric Car With Free Autopilot

Chinese company XPeng has unveiled the MONA M03 Max, a car with an AI-powered autonomous…

6 hours ago

Sony lifts regional restrictions from Stellar Blade on PC, and a demo version of the game is released on Steam

The developers of the post-apocalyptic action game Stellar Blade from the South Korean studio Shift…

6 hours ago

The Slormancer — Diablo Without the Frills. Review

Played on PC Over the last couple of years, the Diabloid subgenre has clearly entered…

6 hours ago

Modder Already Added Two-Player Mode to Elden Ring Nightreign That Developers Forgot About

Less than a day has passed since the release of the cooperative roguelike action game…

6 hours ago

Microsoft delays development of portable Xbox, will focus on partner consoles

According to Windows Central, Microsoft has postponed development of its own portable gaming console with…

6 hours ago