SpaceX Crash Costs NASA $110 Million

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The SpaceX rocket that crashed after takeoff while on its way to the International Space Station last month was more than just a failure for the Hawthorne rocket firm: It’s also turning into a burden for taxpayers as it’s going to cost them $110 million, NASA officials announced Friday.

That figure came from William Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate administrator for human exploration and operations, during testimony Friday before members of the House of Representatives Science, Space and Technology Committee’s Subcommittee on Space. SpaceX, or Space Exploration Technologies Corp., is currently investigating the cause of the June 28 crash.

“The process for determining the root cause of Sunday’s mishap is complex, and there is no one theory yet that is consistent with the data,” SpaceX Spokesman Phil Larson said. “Our engineering teams are heads down reviewing every available piece of flight data.”

SpaceX’s investigation is being overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration which licensed the launch, according to NASA officials.

“NASA will participate in this effort,” NASA Spokeswoman Stephanie Schierholz said. “We are confident SpaceX will understand the specifics, learn from it, and correct it, so they can return to flight.”

Last month’s crash isn’t the only recent bad news for SpaceX. The company is also facing a lawsuit from former employees who say they were not given a state-mandated 60-day notice before being fired last year. Read the Business Journal’s coverage here.

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