Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has invited SpaceX to contribute to the improvement of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) air traffic control system. This follows past disagreements between SpaceX and the FAA. A SpaceX team visited the FAA’s air traffic control command center on February 17th.
Duffy announced the visit on social media, stating the goal is to create “a new, better, modern and safer system.” Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, responded positively, emphasizing the non-partisan nature of air travel safety. However, neither elaborated on SpaceX’s specific contributions or expertise.
Musk’s dual role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and CEO of SpaceX has raised conflict-of-interest concerns. Senator Maria Cantwell expressed these concerns in a letter to Duffy, highlighting the shared airspace between SpaceX launches and commercial airplanes and the FAA’s responsibility for overall airspace safety. Cantwell urged Duffy to address any conflicts of interest.
The January 16th Starship test flight, which resulted in debris falling in the Caribbean and flight disruptions, fueled these concerns. Steve Jangelis of the Air Line Pilots Association criticized SpaceX for jeopardizing safety. SpaceX’s Shana Diez, however, stated that the company collaborates closely with the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO) on airspace notifications and that improvements in real-time launch information would benefit the entire industry. She acknowledged that airspace was closed longer than necessary during the Starship incident, attributing this to an “abundance of caution.” Katie Cranor from the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) confirmed coordination on debris response areas.