An engineer from Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been invited to serve as a senior adviser to the FAA’s acting manager, amid discussions on enhancing air travel safety. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced this collaboration on social media, emphasizing the potential contributions of SpaceX engineers to improve safety in air travel. However, concerns have been raised regarding the hiring practices and qualifications of these SpaceX engineers, particularly in light of the recent recruitment of employees with disabilities and the FAA’s history of staffing issues.
Reports suggest that specific SpaceX engineers—Malaska, Kiernan, Smeal, and Glantz—who have relevant experience, were granted access to critical government systems without undergoing thorough vetting. This comes at a time when the FAA faces scrutiny due to a high rate of staff turnover and the deadliest air disaster month in over a decade. Duffy defended the decision to involve SpaceX, refuting claims of favoritism, and reiterated the FAA’s commitment to regular tours for various corporate and media entities. The FAA and the engineers have yet to respond to requests for comments.
Source link
