FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation
House hearing rehashes longstanding commercial space transportation issues
A House aviation subcommittee hearing on commercial space transportation June 16 plowed familiar ground, revisiting a wide range of issues that have yet to be resolved.
SpaceX outlines first orbital Starship test flight
SpaceX has disclosed details for the first orbital test flight of its next-generation Starship launch system, but the company is still far short of the regulatory approvals needed for the mission.
FAA rejects payload review for Momentus
The FAA has denied a payload review for in-space transportation company Momentus, meaning the company will miss its second opportunity to launch its first tugs.
Congress raises concerns about FAA’s handling of Starship launch license violation
As SpaceX gears up for another test flight of a Starship prototype, the Federal Aviation Administration is facing new scrutiny from Congress for how it handled SpaceX’s violation of its launch license on an earlier test flight.
Georgia spaceport proponents upbeat despite latest delay
Proponents of a proposed Georgia launch site remain optimistic they will win approval from the Federal Aviation Administration despite another delay in the environmental review process.
Eastern Range looks for ways to support additional launches
As launch activity grows on the Eastern Range in Florida, companies and government agencies are looking at ways to add capacity, largely through incremental improvements.
SpaceX violated launch license in Starship SN8 launch
The FAA said that SpaceX violated the conditions of a launch license for its Starship vehicle during a launch in December, prompting an investigation that delayed tests of another vehicle.
FAA reviews delay SpaceX Starship test
A test flight of SpaceX’s Starship launch vehicle is on hold as the company awaits approval from the FAA, a delay that has publicly aggravated the company’s chief executive.
SpaceX ready for Starship suborbital flight as FAA begins new environmental study
As SpaceX prepares for the first high-altitude test flight of its Starship reusable launch vehicle, the FAA is starting a new environmental review required for the company’s future launch vehicle plans.
FAA: Commercial space launch regulations ‘in final coordination’
The revised rules for commercial launch and reentry will be officially posted for public comment in the coming weeks, said Wayne Monteith, the FAA’s associate administrator for commercial space transportation.
Op-ed | FAA streamlining effort empowers U.S. launch industry
The FAA’s rapid success in creating updated launch and reentry rules reflects its leadership’s measured look at the current regulations and willingness to build on what they have learned from the commercial launch community.
Op-ed | Unleashing America’s commercial space industry
The FAA's recently updated commercial space launch and reentry licensing requirements "will simplify the licensing process, allow more room for innovation, and reduce costs — all without sacrificing safety," writes U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
Space industry seeks continued progress on regulatory reform
The commercial space industry hopes to continue recent progress in regulatory reform even if there is a new president or a change in party control in Congress after the election.
FAA publishes streamlined commercial launch regulations
The FAA released Oct. 15 the final version of updated commercial launch and reentry regulations, although those in industry say the regulatory reform process is far from over.
House spending bill rejects Office of Space Commerce funding increase
A spending bill approved by the House Appropriations Committee July 14 once again rejects an administration proposal to combine the Office of Space Commerce with another office and increase its budget to perform space traffic management work.
