Musk’s SpaceX to help return astronauts despite federal investigations of billionaire’s businesses

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is answering the call to help NASA rescue stranded astronauts from the International Space Station despite the federal government’s investigations of the company’s billionaire CEO and his various ventures.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been stuck at the International Space Station since they were shuttled there by the Boeing Starliner spacecraft in June for a mission that was initially expected to last one week. 

Starliner experienced helium leaks and thruster issues that prompted NASA and Boeing to investigate the issues for weeks before announcing Saturday that Starliner will make an uncrewed return while the two astronauts will return early next year on a SpaceX Crew-9 Dragon mission. NASA’s announcement said that it and SpaceX are working to reconfigure the mission, which is set to launch no earlier than Sept. 24 to accommodate the return of the two astronauts.

The announcement comes after Musk and his companies, including SpaceX, have faced legal and regulatory scrutiny from the federal government in recent years.

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SpaceX is facing an investigation by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) over claims the company forced workers to sign illegal severance agreements.

However, that probe is on hold after the company filed suit challenging the NLRB’s structure and a federal judge in Texas ruled last month that SpaceX’s suit may proceed while pausing the NLRB’s investigation.

Last year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a lawsuit against SpaceX, alleging the company engaged in hiring discrimination against asylum recipients and refugees, claims that SpaceX denied, citing export control laws and regulations. 

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Musk has faced several federal investigations and lawsuits related to his businesses. (Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images / Getty Images)

SpaceX filed a lawsuit in response that challenged the constitutionality of the DOJ’s administrative judges, arguing they wield executive power and should be appointed by the president. A federal judge agreed with SpaceX’s suit, putting the DOJ’s case on hold pending the outcome.

EV-maker Tesla, of which Musk is CEO, is facing a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation that, according to a report by Reuters, centers around claims made about Tesla’s self-driving feature and whether certain statements to that effect fraudulently misled consumers and investors that the cars drive themselves.

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Musk’s SpaceX has faced federal charges of hiring discrimination and illegal severance agreements. (Saul Martinez/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The SEC is also investigating the takeover of Twitter, now known as X, by a Musk-led ownership group in 2022. 

Regulators are looking into whether he broke federal securities laws in the investigation, which the billionaire has said amounts to harassment that prompted him to skip a deposition last fall that a judge ruled this spring would be compulsory for Musk to participate in.

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After the SEC prevailed in its lawsuit to compel Musk’s participation, in late May he agreed to be questioned by the SEC at an undisclosed date and agreed not to appeal the decision regarding the subpoena.

Reuters contributed to this report.