SpaceX doesn’t want safety in space. What is Elon Musk planning?
SpaceX does not want the US government to look into its ships. The company’s authorities intend to make every effort to stop regulations regarding the safety of commercial flights. What is it about?
The United States may soon start working on new regulations that will cover the safety of manned space flights offered by commercial companies. Earlier, it was held up by the nearly 20-year-long blockade, which is expected to end soon.
The new regulations are the worst-case scenario for private space companies, led by SpaceX. Elon Musk’s company intends to fight as best it can to extend the dispensation.
SpaceX against flight safety? A complicated matter in the USA
It all started in 2004, when an extremely long moratorium was introduced, prohibiting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from regulating safety issues in commercial flights. This blockade was supposed to end on October 1 this year, but was recently extended until the end of 2023.
Currently, every person boarding a commercial shuttle must express the so-called informed consent and acknowledge, among others, that the spacecraft does not have government certification. Legally, departures take place “at your own risk”.
Despite the natural expiration of the remedies, space companies want to maintain their privileged status and have launched strong lobbying to extend the ban for many more years.
SpaceX lobbies for lack of safety regulations
– We want to develop as quickly as we can. We also wouldn’t want to be held up where we don’t need to be held up, says William Gerstenmaier, SpaceX’s vice president of construction and flight reliability at SpaceX.
As the manager argues, the FAA does not have enough staff at this point to efficiently evaluate missiles and issue permits for flights and tests. Adding another layer of safety certification to an already difficult situation could significantly delay the overall work and slow down innovation in the space industry.
– (FAA) is very supportive, but we believe the organization is buried in documents. We also see that in the future the Administration will have more and more responsibilities, adds Gerstenmaier.
A hearing on the ban on security regulations and its possible extension is scheduled to be held in the US Senate on Tuesday. SpaceX intends to lobby for an extension of the moratorium for subsequent years. Representatives of other companies will also be questioned, including Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic.
