Summary
The FAA is reportedly set to cancel a $2.4 billion contract with Verizon to modernize air traffic control communications and instead award it to Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Musk has publicly criticized Verizon’s system as failing, though without evidence. SpaceX employees have been embedded within the FAA, and some now have agency email addresses.
The move raises concerns about favoritism and conflicts of interest, especially as Musk’s companies have received $38 billion in government funding.
The contract transfer has not followed standard procedures, prompting resistance from senior FAA officials.
Yeah, triangular politics. I’m on board. I regret that getting into this discussion any further will require reading from the works of Kissinger. Maybe this time we can fix the problem without bombing a fourth party like Cambodia. Who knows. All bets are of at this point.