/sci/ - Science & Math

https://spacenews.com/gao-report-recommends-faa-evaluate-launch-mishap-investigation-procedures/
(((unidentified industry stakeholders))) represented by the GAO + the house transportation committee want the FAA to move away from operator-led launch mishap investigations, which may increase the duration of investigations by 10 to 20 times. This is coming from the GAO and the house. It's very suspect, especially just after IFT-2 and the recent hearing on how overburdened the FAA is.
Saying all of that kind of misses the most ridiculous thing: In order for the FAA to do an independent investigation, they'd need to somehow obtain the relevant expertise and knowledge to actually figure out what went wrong, ala the NTSB, which requires a intimate knowledge of the vehicle involved. This is in an industry where vehicle designs are unique to the launch operator, many of which are experimental in nature.
That's a mad amount of work to foist on an agency already struggling under its present obligations. Seems malicious.