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The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has let launch providers conduct their own probe in virtually every instance that a launch misadventure has occur since the start of the century — a practice that needs closer scrutiny , a Union guard dog said in a new report .
The report , published Thursday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office(GAO ) , takes a penny-pinching look at the investigations into launch bad luck , the industry term for when a launching end in an detonation or other failure . Mishap investigations are a normal course of instruction of action and are generally under the protection of the FAA — but this paper reveals that the pattern is basically entirely operator - lead , with the FAA having inadequate resources for in - mansion investigations .
Of the 49 mishaps that occurred between 2000 and 2023 , and for which FAA was the lead investigative bureau , all were conduce by the launch operator , the account found . The one exception was an investigation into a fatal accident involving SpaceShipTwo in October 2014 , for which the National Transportation Safety Board was the lead-in authorisation .
The FAA lets the launching company lead its own investigations for a number of reason , functionary tell GAO . A airless apprehension of fomite design and the underlying engineering is necessary when undertake a source cause probe into a failure , and the operators roll in the hay their vehicle best . FAA official also estimated that in - sign of the zodiac investigation would take 10 - 20 time long than those lead by the hustler .
The U.S. Government Accountability Office said the FAA should develop touchstone for determining when a mischance investigation is lead by its office or the launching supplier , the report say . It further found that the FAA has not evaluated the effectuality of its “ operator - reliant ” mishap investigation process .
“ FAA officials tell us they make their decisions to authorise operator - led investigations depend on the level of investigation required , which is for the most part based on severeness of the mischance or its consequence and may also take into consideration the level of public interest , ” the report say . “ However , in pattern , FAA authorized the manipulator postulate to lead the probe of its misadventure for all 49 mishaps for which FAA had top fact-finding dominance . ”
Even when investigations are led by the launching caller , the FAA still exercises some point of oversight and interest in the process . But some stakeholders questioned whether the launching fellowship “ can be impartial or effective investigators of their own mischance . ”
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Launch provider told the GAO that they take steps to hold independence of their internal investigation , and others said that marketplace incentives and insurance requirements can also make overconfident motivator for a rigorous , credible investigation mental process .
Regardless , GAO found that the FAA did not maintain criteria for evaluating the effectivity of manipulator - led probe , and has no formal channels for operators to apportion their findings with the wider manufacture .
“ Without a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of its operator - led mishap investigation mental process , FAA can not be assured that its safety lapse is best achieving authority objectives in an orbit of critical importance , ” GAO said .
