Personnel from SpaceX are going to the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Control Command Center in Virginia to help the team overhaul its system following the massive incidents that occurred.
Last January, a deadly Washington air disaster happened after American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army helicopter collided in midair near the Ronald Reagan National Airport.
After the incident, the FAA also laid off hundreds of employees who are part of the air traffic control infrastructure of the command center.
SpaceX Is Appointed to Help the FAA's Air Traffic Control System
The Verge reported that SpaceX was recently appointed to help the FAA overhaul its air traffic control system, and a team will join the agency in their work towards improving their processes. It was revealed by FAA's Secretary, Sean Duffy, that SpaceX's team will first visit the Virginia Command Center to look at the current system and learn about its processes.
After this, SpaceX will conceptualize how to improve the system, with Secretary Duffy saying that they will implement a modern and safer system with the help of the SpaceX team.
It was not revealed how SpaceX plans to execute its role to help the FAA improve its systems, particularly as the Musk-owned company is known for being primarily focused on spaceflights.
Washington's Air Disaster Prompted FAA's Overhaul
The recent incident in Washington, DC, has prompted a massive probe into the FAA's systems after the American Airlines plane and Army helicopter crashed into each other, leaving all 67 passengers of the commercial flight dead.
This led to the FAA laying off hundreds of its probationary employees who were revealed to be critical for its air traffic operations, but the exact figure was not shared.
SpaceX and Its Massive Role in Aviation
SpaceX has been at the mercy of the FAA for the many years it has been operating, and the Elon Musk-owned corporation has faced different probes by the governing body. Last year, SpaceX faced an investigation from the FAA that temporarily suspended its license after the Falcon 9 fiasco, but it was immediately rectified by the company.
SpaceX's massive plans for the Starship program also fell under the watchful eyes of the aviation authorities as its experimental rocket that recently experienced a series of failed launches. That being said, the fourth, fifth, and sixth test flights of the company were a resounding success, but before its November launch, the FAA grounded it for an investigation.
However, despite all of SpaceX's extensive knowledge in the world of aviation, it mostly centered on spaceflights for rockets, and not aerial flights for commercial, private, or military planes.
That being said, it is now given the role of helping the FAA fix its air traffic control system in Virginia after the Washington incident and massive layoffs, with SpaceX to learn the ropes first before effecting change.
