Elon Musk is criticizing the FAA’s proposed fines for SpaceX, calling on the agency to instead focus on Boeing’s Starliner mishaps. Musk characterizes the FAA’s problems with SpaceX as “trivia,” while Boeing left NASA astronauts stranded in space for months with its spacecraft.
Business Insider reports that in a recent X/Twitter post, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has openly criticized the FAA for proposing fines against his company, while seemingly overlooking the failures of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The FAA recently announced its intention to impose a $633,009 fine on SpaceX for alleged violations of launch licenses during two missions in 2023. The regulator claims that SpaceX used an unapproved launch control room and failed to conduct a required T-2 hour poll during a May 2023 mission. Additionally, the FAA accused the company of using an unapproved rocket propellant farm for a separate launch in July 2023.
Musk took to social media to express his frustration with the FAA’s decision. He accused the agency’s leadership of focusing on “petty matters” related to SpaceX while neglecting “real safety issues” at Boeing. Musk specifically referred to NASA deeming the Boeing Starliner capsule unsafe for astronaut return, forcing the space agency to turn to SpaceX as an alternative. He argued that instead of fining Boeing for “putting astronauts at risk,” the FAA is targeting SpaceX for what he considers “trivia.”
SpaceX has also formally responded to the FAA’s accusations, issuing a letter to top congressional leaders on Wednesday. In the letter, the company stated that it “forcefully rejects” the FAA’s claims, characterizing the regulatory actions as “distractions” that “directly threaten national priorities and undercut American industry’s ability to innovate.”
This is not the first time Musk and SpaceX have clashed with the FAA. The company recently issued a statement on September 10, criticizing the agency for delaying the next launch of its Starship vehicle to late November, rather than allowing it to proceed in mid-September as planned. SpaceX argued that the delay was not based on new safety concerns but was instead driven by “superfluous environmental analysis” and “false and misleading reporting” from online detractors and special interest groups.
The tensions between Musk and the FAA come at a crucial time for both SpaceX and Boeing in their race to advance commercial spaceflight capabilities. While SpaceX has made significant strides, becoming the first private company to fly astronauts to space in 2020, Boeing’s Starliner program has faced numerous setbacks. The most recent incident involved the Starliner spacecraft returning to Earth without its crew due to thruster issues and helium leaks, forcing two astronauts to rely on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for their return in February 2025.
Breitbart News recently reported that Musk has vowed to sue the FAA over its recent fine.
Read more at Business Insider here.
