SpaceX Awarded Contract To Upgrade FAA Systems

CNN reports:

The Federal Aviation Administration has agreed to use SpaceX’s Starlink internet system to upgrade the information technology networks it uses to manage US airspace, raising new concerns about conflicts of interest for CEO Elon Musk in one of his other roles, that of recommending funding cuts at federal agencies, including the FAA.

The size of this contract was not immediately reported. SpaceX is a privately held space technology company greatly dependent on federal contracts, primarily from NASA. Its Starlink satellite internet provides service for government and private customers around the world.

The contract comes while Musk is leading efforts to make deep cuts in federal government spending, including staffing cuts at the FAA, and some critics are raising questions about conflicts of interest over his role overseeing government agencies that are supposed to be regulating his businesses.

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