US billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX may secure multibillion-dollar government contracts due to his role in the White House, according to The New York Times. Musk’s company is taking steps to win new federal contracts and support from the government.
SpaceX has submitted four requests to build new rocket launchpads or increase launches from federal spaceports in Florida and California. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved one request to double Falcon 9 launches from Florida to 120 per year.
However, government contracting experts express concerns about potential abuse of power and corruption. With President Trump’s allies and employees holding government positions, there is a risk that Musk may secure favors for his company.
Musk holds a leading position in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to cut wasteful spending and restructure federal agencies. Despite this, experts fear that corruption could still occur if SpaceX wins competitions without authentic competition.
The CEO of Project on Government Oversight, Danielle Brian, stated, “We will never know if SpaceX would authentically win competitions for these awards because all of the offices in government intended to prevent corruption and conflicts of interest have been beheaded or defunded.”
Source: https://www.uniindia.com/news/world/musk-s-role-in-white-house-may-help-spacex-win-multibillion-dollar-contracts-reports/3421022.html