The head of the Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday defended a decision to delay a SpaceX Starship launch because the company hadn’t followed permitting and licensing requirements, just days after Elon Musk groused that the FAA’s red tape is getting in the way of the company’s ambitions.
Mike Whitaker, the administrator of the FAA, told lawmakers on the House Transportation Committee that his decision to delay SpaceX’s launch for a few months is grounded in safety, and defended the $633,000 fine his agency has proposed against SpaceX as the “only tool” the FAA has to ensure that Musk’s company follows the rules.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/24/spacex-rocket-launch-delay-faa-00180730