FAA Fines SpaceX IDR 2.6 Billion as a Result of Not Sending Falcon 9 Rocket Launch Data

Falcon 9 / dock rocket. SpaceX

JAKARTA - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) fined SpaceX 175.000 US dollars (IDR 2.6 billion), accusing the company of failing to send the necessary data before the launch of its Falcon 9 rocket last year.

The proposed civil penalty stems from the mission carrying the Starlink satellite that SpaceX launched on August 19 last year.

The FAA said SpaceX was required to submit the information, known as launch collision analysis trajectory data, directly to the US regulator at least seven days before a regulatory attempted launch. However, the company failed to send the data.

"The data is used to assess the likelihood of the launch vehicle colliding with one of the thousands of tracked objects orbiting the Earth," said the FAA in its official statement, quoted by Reuters, Saturday, February 18.

The FAA said the maximum civil penalty for violating such federal regulations was $262,666.

However, the FAA is seeking a lower number after reviewing its investigation into the incident. SpaceX has 30 days to respond to regulators after receiving the penalty notice.

Previously, the FAA had not proposed civil penalties for rocket operators who failed to submit data prior to launch, making yesterday's announcement the first such enforcement of its rules.

The announcement is the latest in tensions between billionaire Elon Musk's aerospace company and the FAA.

In 2020, the FAA found SpaceX in breach of launch regulations by allowing a prototype of its giant Starship rocket to take off without obtaining key data approval, which ended up exploding.

Meanwhile, in 2021, the FAA revised SpaceX's commercial launch requirements to mandate an FAA safety inspector be present for every flight at the Boca Chica, Texas launch facility after the FAA stated the company violated licensing requirements for Starship launches.