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EXPLOSIVE: The US FAA fines SpaceX over $600K, Elon Musk threatens to sue them. SpaceX, the aerospace company led by Elon Musk, is facing significant fines from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for allegedly violating launch licensing requirements during two missions in 2023. The company could be penalised over $600,000, a situation that has prompted Musk to announce plans to sue the FAA for what he describes as “regulatory overreach.” The FAA claims that SpaceX did not adhere to the required licensing procedures during launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. While SpaceX had submitted a request in May 2023 to revise its communication plan, it proceeded with the changes without waiting for the necessary approval from the FAA. As a result of these alleged violations, the FAA is proposing a fine of $175,000 for each infraction, totalling $350,000. In a second incident, during the July 2023 launch of the EchoStar XXIV/Jupiter mission, SpaceX is accused of using an unapproved rocket propellant farm as its fuel supplier. The FAA argues that both of these actions breached safety regulations, with fines expected to exceed $630,000 in total. SpaceX boss Elon Musk lashed out at the FAA in retaliation with a threat of litigation. In response to the FAA’s proposed penalties, Elon Musk has publicly criticised the agency, calling the fines part of what he views as an ongoing issue with regulatory bodies. Musk has stated that SpaceX intends to file a lawsuit against the FAA, accusing them of regulatory overreach. #spacex #elonmusk #FAA
