Elon Musk shakes up SpaceX in race for satellite launch
Known for his aggressive deadlines, Musk fired seven senior staff in June to bring in new managers to help SpaceX bring high-speed internet to rural and suburban locations globally
Seattle/Orlando — SpaceX CEO Elon Musk flew to the Seattle area in June for meetings with engineers leading a satellite launch project crucial to his space company’s growth. Within hours of landing, Musk had fired at least seven members of the programme’s senior management team at the Redmond, Washington, office, the culmination of disagreements over the pace at which the team was developing and testing its Starlink satellites, according to the two SpaceX employees with direct knowledge of the situation. Known for pushing aggressive deadlines, Musk quickly brought in new managers from SpaceX headquarters in California to replace a number of the managers he fired. Their mandate: launch SpaceX’s first batch of US-made satellites by the middle of next year, the sources said. The management shake-up and the launch timeline, previously unreported, illustrate how quickly Musk wants to bring online SpaceX’s Starlink programme, which is competing with OneWeb and Canada’s Telesat to be first...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.