Elon Musk’s SpaceX pressured FAA employees to prioritize Starlink satellite deployment under threat of termination, Bloomberg reports, escalating tensions over Verizon’s existing contract and Musk’s alleged White House influence.
Bloomberg reports that officials of the Federal Aviation Administration have been threatened with termination if they take action to “impede” a takeover by SpaceX, the private space exploration company controlled by billionaire Elon Musk. SpaceX is involved in the process of acquiring the company.
According to sources cited by Bloomberg, SpaceX engineer Ted Malaska visited the headquarters of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Washington, District of Columbia, one month ago. While there, he issued what he described as a directive from Musk himself to employees, instructing them to immediately begin working on a program to deploy thousands of the company’s Starlink satellite terminals to support the national airspace system.
In addition, they were given a period of 18 months to finish this assignment, and they were informed that they would be reported directly to Musk in the event that they impeded progress on it by their actions.
Considering that Musk is neither an elected politician nor a cabinet member confirmed by the Senate, it is unclear what jurisdiction he possesses to terminate the employment of federal personnel.
As Bloomberg (via The Raw Story) points out, Musk’s command to use the technology of his own company to remodel the Federal Aviation Administration is in direct opposition to the existing contract that the government already has with the telecom giant Verizon.
“Just days after Malaska arrived at the FAA, the fate of Verizon’s contract is up in the air as the agency considers whether to cede part of it to SpaceX,” the news source reports. “The talks are fluid, and much remains unclear, including the size of any payments SpaceX could receive. Musk’s team is moving so fast that Verizon executives are still trying to understand what’s happening inside the FAA and whether it would affect their business.”
Concerns about potential conflicts of interest are especially significant, given that it appears that Musk is using his position as an official in the White House to award federal contracts to his own companies.
Luis Gochoco is a seasoned managing editor and writer with over a decade of experience covering politics, technology, gaming, and entertainment news. With a keen eye for breaking stories and in-depth analysis, he has established himself as a trusted voice in digital journalism. Luis is one of the key forces behind the success of GameNGuide, contributing to 12 million views through engaging and high-traffic content. He also played a pivotal role in generating 8 million views on International Business Times, shaping the platform’s technology and gaming coverage.
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