Watchdog: FAA Staffing Struggles Could Hinder Human Spaceflight

GAO audit reveals ongoing hiring challenges that could slow progress on licensing and oversight.

Thursday, February 22, 2024 at 09:46 PM ET

Verified

Staffing problems within the FAA's commercial space office risk slowing down industry development, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. [Photo: The Bold Bureau/Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

A U.S. GAO audit revealed that the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) faces significant hiring challenges for specialized roles, which could hinder the growth of the human spaceflight industry.
These staffing shortages risk delaying commercial spaceflight license applications, potentially impeding the industry's economic growth and development by forcing a "queuing" system.
The audit highlighted that AST's workforce has consistently been below authorized levels, is burdened by lengthy training requirements for new hires, and has largely failed to implement past GAO recommendations for strategic workforce management.

See a mistake? Contact us.

An 18-month audit conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that hiring challenges at the FAA could hinder the growth of the human spaceflight industry.

The audit report, published Wednesday in response to a request from federal lawmakers, reviewed hiring policies within the agency’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) between August 2022 and February 2024.