Comment by dtjb
4 days ago
The quote from Duffy indicates that the SpaceX team doesn't have any real knowledge about or experience with the FAA systems. Seems like they're being brought in just because they're a Musk company.
4 days ago
The quote from Duffy indicates that the SpaceX team doesn't have any real knowledge about or experience with the FAA systems. Seems like they're being brought in just because they're a Musk company.
The quote also doesn't indicate the SpaceX team is being "brought in to overhaul FAA systems", that seems like a big mistake if that tweet is all they are basing it on. The tweet says the FAA is tasked with overhauling their ATC system, and people from SpaceX are visiting to share ideas, and it seems to include an open invitation to others to do the same.
Political pettiness, and speculation about whether Musk got some special favor or advantage that would not be available to other companies aside, it doesn't seem like a bad idea to get cross-pollination and share ideas with other organizations and fields. SpaceX may not know much about ATC but they probably do know something about monitoring and control and collision avoidance in rockets and satellites.
Maybe Musk should have done that review before firing all of those FAA employees last month. Maybe those jobs were important.
I don't know, maybe. Maybe not if they're getting ideas for a new ATC system not applicable to day to day operations of the existing one, which is more like what the tweet sounded like. But I really don't know the inner workings of any of that so it would only be speculation. I'm sure there's lots they could be doing better.
What I wrote stands though, the article seems poorly sourced and incorrect about its interpretation of the tweet.
> "Maybe those jobs were important."
It's been reported that 400 new hires on probationary status were let go. None of them were involved in safety related operations. The FAA has around 45,000 total employees, so it's a rather tiny percentage, in any case.
While the team might not know much about FAA yet, they have high trust and a good working relationship with the guy who knows more about everything than everyone so maybe that's why this will work out great
Yeah, his history is basically bringing in people he can trust because he can control them and then making them do what he wants to get the outcome he needs. It's a pattern across all of his companies and endeavors.
Compared to what, just rolling the dice? SpaceX isn't the only shop that can deliver against requirements.
Procurement bids should be transparent and avoid the illusion of conflict. This is the complete opposite of that. It's hard to take Musk's campaign against "fraud and waste" serious when he's awarding the contracts to himself.
100%, this is very definitely him acting immorally and illegally.
As against bringing in people he can’t trust or control, to not do what he wants, and get an outcome he doesn’t need.
I think this move is a mistake, but what your describing there is just competent management.