Musk accused of ‘hijacking’ £5.5bn satellite deal
In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), SpaceX demands the Commission “expeditiously review and rescind” a decision to green light a £5.5 billion merger between American company Viasat and Britain’s Inmarsat. SpaceX, which had unsuccesfully tried to block the takeover, claims Viasat is causing interference with its satellites and breaching its licensing conditions in a long-running row between the two companies. It says the regulator has “improperly” failed to consider its claims the first time and that the acquisition was “contrary to the public interest” because of Viasat’s “blatant disregard” for regulations. Viasat says the FCC had already found it “qualified to obtain licences” and that its rival’s latest assault was an attempt to “hijack” the takeover. It also accuses Musk of creating the risk of orbital collisions by launching thousands of small satellites.
These are old arguments that have been tried and failed before – the FCC expressly rejected them in clearing the acquisition. And they will certainly fail again. Our focus is on integrating Inmarsat’s assets and capabilities into the Viasat family to offer the innovative new services our customers want.
DOJ sues SpaceX for hiring discrimination
The U.S. Department of Justice sues SpaceX for discriminatory hiring practices, accusing the company of discouraging asylum seekers from applying to open positions and refusing to hire those who did. The complaint says SpaceX’s “routine, widespread, and longstanding” hiring practices “harmed asylees and refugees,” alleging that its job postings wrongly stated that only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents could apply. (Exactly which positions those were is unclear, but U.S. law protects asylees and refugees from hiring discrimination in general, regardless of their citizenship status.) After the investigation began, Musk tweeted:
US law requires at least a green card to be hired at SpaceX, as rockets are considered advanced weapons technology.
The DOJ says Musk was incorrect, however, and the tweet is being used as evidence in the suit.
Conservationists sue FAA over SpaceX launches
Conservation groups sue the Federal Aviation Administration for approving expanded rocket launch operations by SpaceX without an environmental impact study (EIS), an extensive study that includes public review and can take years or decades to complete. The FAA approved the launches based on a far less thorough assessment and a finding that SpaceX activities at Boca Chica pose “no significant impact” on the environment.
The federal court lawsuit is filed in the District of Columbia by the Center for Biological Diversity, the American Bird Conservancy, Surfrider Foundation, Save RGV (Rio Grand Valley), and the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation. It says that explosion was only the latest in a series of at least nine that have occurred at Boca Chica in recent years and that the mishaps are disrupting a haven for protected wildlife and vital habitat for migratory birds. The plaintiffs are asking the court to vacate the finding of no significant impact and require a full EIS before any more launches occur.
This case concerns whether the nation’s commitment to preserving our critical wildlife habitat and treasured coastal landscapes must be sacrificed as we reach out to explore the cosmos.
Fired SpaceX employees file charges
Eight former SpaceX employees file unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging they were let go for being part of a group that had drafted and circulated a letter to SpaceX executives in June. The letter asked SpaceX executives for three things: to curb “Elon’s harmful Twitter behavior,” to define and enforce the company’s sexual harassment policies, and ensure that all leadership is held accountable for violating such policies.
SpaceX’s current systems and culture do not live up to its stated values, as many employees continue to experience unequal enforcement of our oft-repeated ‘No Asshole’ and ‘Zero Tolerance’ policies.
US labor law prohibits employers from firing workers who band together to advocate for better working conditions. At the time, Musk called the letter a “distraction and embarrassment” to the company.