Sam Smeal

Coder, age 29

Tech Industry Links: SpaceX

Exited govt: 6/02/25 (reported)

One of the four SpaceX engineers who were brought into the FAA on an ad hoc basis, he was only approved to work for 4 days at the agency. That term was apparently extended until June 2, when their access was abruptly revoked.

Positions

Position	Notes
FAA	Source A diminished DOGE reels from the departure of the ‘Dogefather,’ Elon Musk The Washington Post, 2025-06-08 FAA 2/16/25-6/02/25 Senior Advisor (NTE 2/20/25) fired 6/02/25

Events

Date	Event
2/17/25 FAA	Source How Elon Musk Muscled His Way Into the FAA Bloomberg, 2025-03-05 Directory Four SpaceX engineers at FAA are granted ethics waivers and designated as Special Government Employees, but must recuse from decisions affecting SpaceX. Brady Glantz, Sam Smeal, Ted Malaska, Thomas Kiernan
4/25/25 FAA	Source Musk Allies Made FAA Staff Sign NDAs to Keep New Project Secret Rolling Stone, 2025-04-25 Disruption DOGE staff assigned to the FAA have reportedly enlisted government staff to work on a secret communications project named “Project Lift,” requiring them to sign NDAs. It is rumored to be about incorporating Starlink into FAA projects.
6/02/25 FAA	Source A diminished DOGE reels from the departure of the ‘Dogefather,’ Elon Musk The Washington Post, 2025-06-08 Offboard In the wake of Elon Musk’s exit from DOGE, the four SpaceX engineers that have been working secretly in the FAA – Ted Malaska, Sam Smeal, Thomas Kiernan and Brady Glantz – are all immediately removed from the agency. The Post reports that some agency staff went for post-work drinks to celebrate the banishment of the DOGE team.