Launch Licensing Requirements Final Rule Published
The U.S. Department of Transportation has published the FAA's Streamlined Launch and Reentry Licensing Requirements Final Rule for commercial space transportation launches and reentries.
“This historic, comprehensive update to commercial space launch and reentry licensing requirements facilitates greater growth in this industry and helps America to maintain our number one position in the world.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
“This historic, comprehensive update to commercial space launch and reentry licensing requirements facilitates greater growth in this industry and helps America to maintain our number one position in the world,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
This rule modernizes the way FAA regulates and licenses commercial space operations and allows the burgeoning aerospace industry to continue to innovate and grow, while maintaining public safety.
Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary of the National Space Council Dr. Scott Pace said, “In meeting the President’s mandate in Space Policy Directive-2 to streamline regulations on commercial spaceflight, the Department of Transportation is strengthening the United States’ continued leadership in space commerce. I commend Secretary Chao, the Department, and the Office of Commercial Space Transportation for updating launch regulations and licensing to ensure the United States remains the flag of choice for the growing commercial space sector.”
The new rule consolidates four regulatory parts and applies a single set of licensing and safety regulations for all types of vehicle operations. It also provides flexibility for operators to meet safety requirements. The rule improves efficiency by encouraging launch and reentry operators to suggest and implement design and operational solutions to meet the regulatory standards.
“This rule paves the way for an industry that is moving at lightning speed,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “We are simplifying the licensing process and enabling industry to move forward in a safe manner.”
The final rule’s improved application processes allow:
A single operator’s license that can be used to support multiple launches or reentries from potentially multiple launch site locations.
Early review when applicants submit portions of their license application incrementally.
Applicants to negotiate mutually agreeable reduced time frames for submittals and application review periods.
Applicants to apply for a safety element approval with a license application, instead of needing to submit a separate application.
Additional flexibility on how to demonstrate high consequence event protection.
Neighboring operations personnel to stay during launch or reentry in certain circumstances.
Ground safety oversight to be scoped to better fit the safety risks and reduce duplicative requirements when operating at a federal site.
This rule will become effective 90 days after it is transmitted to the Federal Register. Advisory Circulars relating to High Consequence Protection, High Fidelity Flight Safety Analysis, and Computing Systems and Software will also become effective 90 days after the rule is transmitted to the Federal Register. Twenty-four additional Advisory Circulars will be published within one year. Legacy licenses can still be used for up to five years after the rule’s effective date.
FAA is responsible for ensuring the protection of the public, property, national security and foreign policy interests of the U.S. during commercial launch or reentry activities. The agency also encourages, facilitates, and promotes U.S. commercial space transportation. To date, FAA has licensed or permitted more than 380 launches and reentries.
The announcement was welcomed by the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. “CSF and its members express our gratitude to Vice President Mike Pence who led the National Space Council in mandating this reform, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson and Deputy Administrator Dan Elwell. We especially thank the talented and hardworking team in FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation, led by Associate Administrator Wayne Monteith, for their efforts to revise the NPRM and achieve the goals in Space Policy Directive 2 while still licensing an unprecedented number of commercial space launches and reentries,” said Audrey Powers, Chairwoman of the CSF Board of Directors.
“CSF members uniformly advocated for significant changes to the 2019 proposal, and we look forward to studying this voluminous final rule and accompanying Advisory Circulars,” said Eric Stallmer, President of CSF.
“We are hopeful that this revised regulation takes a significant step in fostering a safe, efficient, innovative, and internationally-competitive U.S. commercial space industry. But we also strongly support the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee’s recent recommendation that the Secretary establish a new AeroSpace Rulemaking Committee to develop further refinements to this rule and start the challenging task of revising other space transportation regulations to conform with this new rule and embrace the diverse nature of the commercial industry,” Stallmer concluded.
(Source: U.S. DOT and Commercial Spaceflight Federation news releases)