Last year , Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk went on YouTube server Joe Rogan ’s show andsmoked some weed . That was inauspicious , because SpaceX hap to be a U.S. military contractor with security headway , and the U.S. authorities does not care marijuana — and in this case , it disliked it so much it spent $ 5 million to demonstrate its displeasure .
The U.S. Air Force initially seemed like it did n’t knowwhat the sin to do about the incident . But it afterward emerged that top officials at NASA includingadministrator Jim Bridenstinewere in earnest peevedabout Musk ’s determination to get down up on air . NASA then decided it would require SpaceX , as well as contender Boeing , to go through an intensive safety audit and ethnic review that it described as ensuring “ the companies are suffer NASA ’s requirements for workplace rubber , including the adherence to a drug - devoid environment . ” According to areport by Politicoon Wednesday , SpaceX ’s review run up a $ 5 million yellow journalism that will go on the taxpayer ’ dime .
According to Politico , one industry reservoir said that NASA had never ordered such an all-encompassing safety and culture review before , to the item where both SpaceX and Boeing were confused as to what exactly it was . In addition to interviewing employees at all levels of SpaceX , the review entailed having the company do some Reefer Madness shit like “ educating its employee and ensuring they are following strict guideline for federal contractor barring illegal drug utilisation . ” While SpaceX initially footed the $ 5 million bill , NASA agreed to reimburse it in an system that Politico similarly name as highly unusual and belike unprecedented .
Screenshot: PowerfulJRE ( (YouTube)
Despite NASA telling Politico that the repayment to SpaceX was “ standard drill , ” Boeing has not been reimburse . That raises the enquiry of why the company whose CEO started this mess hall got repaid instead . But Boeing might have adjudicate that it was n’t wise to open its mouth about the matter , as it ’s received $ 4.8 billion from NASA as part of the long - stay Commercial Crew Program , significantly more than SpaceX ’s $ 3.1 billion .
Both companies were have a bun in the oven to save their replacements for the retired quad bird by 2017 , which has been a seed of frustration to NASA and raised the prospect the agency will have topurchase extra seatsto the International Space Station on Roscosmos rockets . NASApublicly spar with SpaceXover the time lag beforeburying the tomahawk , so perhaps Boeing close that a relatively measly $ 5 million was n’t worth risking their own spat over .
“ The melodic theme of NASA ever generate SpaceX preferential discourse over Boeing is just giggle - rush to industry insider , ” University of South California help professor and former Trump NASA transition squad member Greg Autry told Politico . “ At every step of the fashion Boeing develop more [ money ] in the [ Commercial Crew development ] programme . Far , far more than $ 5 million . Even discuss $ 5 million in this context is lightheaded . ”
In any case , while Musk may have set off this tidy sum , it ’s finally the government that decided it was gon na drop five fat push-down store over it . Bridenstine latterly strain to downplay the whole thing , separate CNBCrecently that he does n’t think “ there ’s much a story there . ”
“ Quite frankly , I recollect both company are work really responsibly , and take in sure that their cultures are secure , ” Bridenstine added . “ And so , as we get penny-pinching to launching spaceman on rockets again , it ’s not just NASA that need to be safe , it ’s our commercial partners that require to be dependable . ”
Anyhow , Musk can probably pile “ smoking weed on Joe Rogan ’s show ” onto hisgrowing memory sight of thingshe did onlinethat he now regrets . At least this sentence it did n’t cost him any money .
Daily Newsletter
Get the best tech , science , and polish news in your inbox day by day .
News from the future , render to your present .
Please select your desired newssheet and accede your electronic mail to upgrade your inbox .
You May Also Like
