FAA launches aerospace rulemaking committee for space flight safety

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ended Fiscal Year 2024 with a record 148 licensed commercial space operations, up more than 30 percent over the prior year. The FAA forecasts that number may more than double by FY 2028 and is launching an Aerospace Rulemaking Committee to update the FAA’s Part 450 launch and reentry licensing rule. 

“The FAA is seeking to update the licensing rule to foster more clarity, flexibility, efficiency, and innovation,” said FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation Kelvin B. Coleman. “Making timely licensing determinations without compromising public safety is a top priority.” 

The Part 450 rule was developed to streamline the regulations, reduce the number of times an operator would need to come to the FAA for a licence approval and decrease the need for the FAA to process waivers, among other goals. 

The new committee will consist of members of the commercial space industry and academia and will focus on nine topics, including flight safety analyses, system safety, and means of compliance. It is expected to submit a report with recommended changes to Part 450 rule by late summer 2025. The FAA would then use the recommendations to plan future rulemaking actions.  

The FAA is inviting stakeholders to participate, with an initial meeting being scheduled during the first week of December.  

Facts and figures

The number of FAA-licensed commercial operations (launches + reentries) has grown by more than 900% in the last decade from 14 in FY 2015 to a new record of 148 in FY 2024.

In FY 2024, the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation made 49 licensing actions including issuing two new licences, 10 licence renewals, and 37 licence modifications. The office also conducted 23 environmental reviews and performed 810 inspections.

Under federal law, the FAA has up to 180 days after accepting an application to approve or deny a new launch or reentry licence. The FAA has met this deadline 98 percent of the time. 

The FAA has issued seven Part 450 licences, including to Astra Space, ABL Space, Inversion Space, Relativity Space, SpaceX, Stratolaunch and Varda Space.