
The Space X company had to grapple with overbearing bureaucracy to convince US government agencies that its ships would not harm sharks and whales when they splash down in the ocean, CEO Elon Musk has revealed.
Speaking at a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Musk recalled that the company had to undertake a study "to see if the Starship would hit a shark," drawing a burst of laughter from the crowd.
"I'm like: It's a big ocean, there's a lot of sharks. It's not impossible, but it's very unlikely. I am willing to comply with the National Marine Fisheries' requirements but on condition that they provide me with the relevant shark data for analysis."However, according to Musk, the agency said that it could not provide the data.
"And they said: 'We could give the data to our Western division, but we don't trust them'... Am I in a comedy sketch here?"The tycoon added that Space X later managed to get its hands on the relevant data after all, and was able to provide all the necessary assurances. However the saga did not end there!












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