Elon Musk decries ‘lawfare’ after FAA proposes SpaceX penalties

By Bruce Einhorn

SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk criticized the Federal Aviation Administration for proposing fines to penalize the company for alleged launch license violations.

Musk commented after the FAA on Tuesday announced that SpaceX faces as much as $633,009 in civil penalties over allegations it violated license requirements during two rocket launches in 2023.

SpaceX didn’t respond to a request for comment. In a post Tuesday on his X social media platform, Musk described the FAA’s announcement as, “More lawfare.” In a separate post, the billionaire threatened to sue the FAA “for regulatory overreach,” but didn’t provide any further details.

The alleged violations by Musk’s company included using an unapproved control room for one launch in Florida and an unapproved rocket propellant facility for another, the FAA said in a statement.

SpaceX has 30 days to respond in writing, the FAA said. SpaceX can choose to participate in an informal conference with an FAA attorney or submit information to the FAA for consideration, the agency added.

The allegations come days after SpaceX criticized what it sees as unacceptable delays in the licensing process for the next launch of its colossal Starship rocket.