FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation
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.
White House official recommends slow approach to high-speed suborbital transportation
A White House official said June 22 that while the administration supports commercial space transportation, companies with ambitions of high-speed point-to-point suborbital spaceflight should focus on near-term goals instead.
SpaceX gets FAA approval for Starship flight tests
SpaceX has received a license from the Federal Aviation Administration allowing the company to carry out suborbital flight tests of its Starship next-generation launch vehicle.
FAA establishes spaceport office to support growing number of launch sites
As the Federal Aviation Administration licenses another commercial spaceport, it has formally opened an office to address the issues facing such launch sites.
FAA commercial space office completes reorganization
The FAA office responsible for licensing commercial launches and reentries has completed a reorganization announced nearly a year ago intended to improve its efficiency.
FAA commercial space office seeks budget increase to keep up with industry growth
The FAA’s commercial space office is seeking a modest budget increase in fiscal year 2021 as it also works on a reorganization and revision of commercial launch regulations.
FAA approves commercial space office reorganization
The Federal Aviation Administration has approved a reorganization of the office that oversees commercial launches in a bid to improve its efficiency as the number of launches grows.
Op-ed | Launching commercial space industry takes team effort
The former chairman of the House aviation subcommittee and adviser to United Launch Alliance argues that all commercial spaceflight companies should support, rather than disrupt, the FAA's ongoing effort to streamline existing launch licensing processes.
Former FAA official calls for national spaceport policy
The former head of the Federal Aviation Administration’s commercial space office says the government should create a policy that promotes the development of spaceports as not just launch sites but also as hubs for economic development.
FAA expects revised launch regulations to be completed next fall
The head of the Federal Aviation Administration’s commercial space office says he expects to have updated commercial launch and reentry regulations completed by next fall, but hasn’t decided if there will be another draft of the rules published before then.
Senate appropriators weigh in on commercial launch regulatory reform
A Senate appropriations bill that funds the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal year 2020 also called on the agency to revise its approach to streamlining commercial launch and regulatory regulations.
FAA launch office, with mounting workload, prioritizing reorganization over expansion
The Federal Aviation Administration’s space-related workload is growing faster than its workforce, but the agency wants to complete a reorganization focused on efficiency before seeking more personnel.
Launch industry divided on proposed regulatory reforms
As the FAA extends the deadline for comments to a proposed revision of commercial launch and reentry regulations, a sharp difference in opinion is emerging in industry between companies that support the revisions and those who believe it could be counterproductive.
