SpaceX, a company owned by Elon Musk, is facing the wrath of aviation space regulators for failing to submit data associated with the launch before undertaking a space mission. According to today’s latest news, the FAA seeks to impose a penalty of $175,000 on SpaceX. According to available information, SpaceX has launched hundreds of rockets over the years, including 61 rockets in 2022.
Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, said the company has set a target of launching 100 rockets into orbit this year. According to an FAA press release, SpaceX did not provide information about the chances of a Starlink satellite colliding in orbit before its launch in 2022. However, the FAA has obtained the probability of collision data.
SpaceX to respond to the FAA’s enforcement letter in 30 days
According to a communiqué from the FAA, SpaceX has 30 days to respond to the agency after the receipt of the enforcement letter. SpaceX could also contest the proposed fine by the FAA. In a previous correspondence, SpaceX said the company would ensure safe flights into orbit. It is committed to ensuring the safety of its crew and payloads and launching several rockets into close orbit around the Earth.
SpaceX devotes resources to space safety
In a message posted on its website in 2022, SpaceX said it already complied with the FAA in providing safety-related data about its launches. It further claimed that it was pumping in several dollars to ensure that its satellites, spacecraft and launch vehicles comply with best practices and meet safety regulations in space.
The FAA is responsible for issuing licenses for commercial launches into space and their reentries. According to available information, the space industry and FAA were discussing safe ways to launch several rockets into orbit from sites in California, Virginia, and Florida and prevent dangers to commercial airlines that also use aviation corridors.
The commercial space office of the FAA recently received additional funding from Congress, according to the associate administrator, Kelvin Coleman. He went on to say that the agency’s main goal is to meet the industry’s growing demand for services and products.
The launcher claims that its spacecraft, which was launched on a SpaceX rocket, failed
In today’s top news headlines, Launcher, a space launch startup, said its first spacecraft, Launcher Orbiter SN1, launched on SpaceX rockets in January 2023, has failed. SpaceX launched Launcher Orbiter SN1 from its Florida-based Cape Canaveral Space Force Station last month with its Transporter 6. It placed 114 satellites into orbit in a single mission.
One of the payloads on Launcher’s mission failed due to a loss of control and power to its SN1 spacecraft. In a statement, the company said it could not operate the vehicle because of its inability to get the required power from solar panels. It further says the faulty GPS antenna caused orientation control issues for the solar panels.
Launcher now claims that Orbitor is capable of performing any combination of maneuvers and placing the satellites in a precise location in orbit, according to the information posted on its website. It said its current failure does not limit its capabilities and that it can easily place customer satellites in their final orbits. Launcher will redesign the GPS antenna and radio subsystems in future flights to avoid such failures.
