SpaceX has “forcefully rejected” claims from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that it breached license requirements during two launches in 2023.
Elon Musk's space firm is facing a $633,009 fine from the FAA over the allegations.
The space company said in a letter to Congress released on Thursday that the FAA was failing to "keep pace with the commercial spaceflight industry."
It also suggested the fine may be tied to increased scrutiny from Congress of the FAA space oversight, alleging that the FAA’s commercial space office "lacks the resources to timely review licensing materials, but also focuses its limited resources on areas unrelated to public safety."
Space X CEO Musk in a post on the social media platform X also accused the FAA of “regulatory overreach.”
The FAA on Tuesday proposed the fines against SpaceX, related to two launches carried out in May and June 2023.
In May 2023, SpaceX requested changes to its communications plan for its Cape Canaveral Space Force Station license, which included adding a new launch control room at Hangar X and eliminating the T-2 hour readiness poll, the agency said.
On June 18, 2023, the FAA said that SpaceX used the new, unapproved control room for the PSN SATRIA mission and skipped the T-2 hour poll. The FAA is proposing a $350,000 fine for these violations.
In July 2023, SpaceX also sought to revise its explosive site plan for its Kennedy Space Center license to include a new rocket propellant farm.
Despite this, the FAA alleges that SpaceX used the unapproved propellant farm for the EchoStar XXIV/Jupiter mission on July 28, 2023. The FAA is proposing a $283,009 penalty for this infraction.
“Safety drives everything we do at the FAA, including a legal responsibility for the safety oversight of companies with commercial space transportation licenses,” FAA Chief Counsel Marc Nichols said.
“Failure of a company to comply with the safety requirements will result in consequences.”