SpaceX Engineers Partner with FAA to Modernize Air Traffic Control Systems

The collaboration follows recent aviation accidents and aims to upgrade outdated technology to enhance safety and efficiency.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy enlisted SpaceX engineers to assist the FAA in modernizing air traffic control systems after a series of recent aviation accidents, including a deadly crash near Washington, D.C.
The January 29 collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight, which claimed 67 lives, highlighted the urgent need for infrastructure upgrades.
SpaceX engineers are working as special government employees, separate from the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, to avoid conflicts of interest while contributing expertise.
Duffy emphasized the antiquated state of current systems, some of which still rely on outdated technology like floppy disks, and called for immediate action from Congress to support modernization efforts.
Critics, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, questioned the propriety of SpaceX's involvement, while Duffy defended the collaboration as essential to improving safety and efficiency in U.S. aviation.