FAA Accuses, SpaceX Responds

Top Stories from the Journal of Space Commerce for the Week Ending 9/28

It’s an epic example of “maybe you can fight city hall”. SpaceX this week responded to a proposed $633,009 in civil penalty for allegedly failing to follow its license requirements during two launches in 2023. On the social media site X, SpaceX says it has been clear for some time that the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) "lacks the resources to timely review licensing materials, mistakenly focuses its limited resources on areas unrelated to its public safety regulatory scope and has been unsuccessful in modernizing and streamlining its regulations."

The letter was sent to the leadership of the germane committees in the U.S. House and Senate. In the letter, the company says it is "absolutely committed to safety in all operations. With respect to these matters, it is notable that in each instance, SpaceX provided AST with sufficient notice of these relatively minor license updates, which had no bearing on public safety. The fact that AST was unable to timely process these minor updates underscores systemic challenges at AST."

The company "forcefully rejects the FAA's assertion that it violated any regulations," the letter states.

We'll be continuing to follow this story, and post updates for you as they develop.

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An agreement has been reached between UARX and Sener for the development of the first Spanish Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV). The agreement was signed recently in Madrid. The collaboration for the OSSIE (Orbit Solutions to Simplify Injection and Exploration) orbital vehicles will increase UARX OTV, reliability, and precision in orbital transportation missions.

UARX joins forces with Sener, a navigation, guidance, and control systems leader in the space industry. The OSSIE orbital transfer vehicle, scheduled to debut in June 2025, already has commitments from customers from three continents, from pocketqubes to small satellites.

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A new, large satellite bus designed to accommodate payloads ranging from 440 - 1,102 pounds has been introduced by satellite manufacturer Apex.

The ESPA-Grande class satellite bus platform is dubbed Nova. Deliveries of the new satellite bus are expected to begin in Q3 2025, and are focused on meeting the needs of operational proliferated LEO missions, including the U.S. Space Force's Space Development Agency (SDA) architecture and classified programs.

Similar to the Apex Aries bus, Nova is designed with multiple configuration packages. Nova is offered in base and heavy configuration packages, with the base package fitting in a SpaceX Falcon 9 XL Rideshare envelope. When configured with the full suite of features, Nova can deliver over 2.5kw OAP to 500kg (1,102 pounds) of payload.

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If you thought there were already a lot (some might say too many) of satellites in orbit, hold on to your hat. The 27th edition of the Novaspace "Satellites to be Built and Launched” report forecasts a record-breaking surge in satellite demand through 2033.

The report forecasts an average of over 3,700 satellites launched annually between 2024 and 2033 – equivalent to 10 satellites per day and totaling a mass of 7 tons - reflecting the growth of satellite-driven connectivity and data services. The report sheds light on the long-term dynamic of the satellite market, emphasizing sustained demand, changes of end users habits, and the seismic shifts caused by vertical integration of selected players and a particular focus on the issues experienced by vendors.

The growing market dominance of a few large commercial satellite operators could exert pressure on both smaller competitors and suppliers. Established satellite manufacturers, already grappling with cost pressures and demands for greater efficiency, may face further margin compression as these major operators push for more favorable pricing.

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There could soon be a new horizontal-launch platform delivering payloads to space. The first round of ground taxi tests of what could become the first fully reusable spaceplane have been completed by Radian Aerospace. These tests of the PFV01 prototype mark an important step forward in the company's test program as it progresses toward the development of the Radian One spaceplane.

The ground tests, conducted in Abu Dhabi, were designed to assess the low-speed takeoff and landing characteristics of the vehicle, including handling and yaw stability. PFV01, a prototype with the same aerodynamic profile as Radian's AV09 design iteration, performed a series of pitch-up maneuvers and short hops, collecting critical data from integrated telemetry systems.

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Our second installment of Ex Terra Extra posted this week. Mike Turner and Tom Patton take an in-depth look at the past, present and possible future of space power. Please give us your thoughts about the program in the comments, and let us know what topics you'd like us to explore on future episodes. The companion article is available only for paid subscribers, so we hope you'll subscribe.