FAA Commercial Space Updates: New Advisory Circulars and 100th Licensed Operation in FY 2023
The FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation recently issued two Advisory Circulars (AC) to provide guidance on how to comply with regulations on policy and payload reviews and on launch and reentry collision avoidance analysis. An AC presents one, but not the only, acceptable means of compliance with the regulatory requirements.
Also, for the first time ever, at least 100 FAA licensed commercial space operations (launches + reentries) have occurred in a single fiscal year. The milestone demonstrates the FAA’s efforts to keep pace with, and support, the continued and safe growth of the industry.
Advisory Circular: Applying for FAA Determination on Policy or Payload Reviews
The purpose of a policy or a payload review is for the FAA to determine whether a proposed launch or reentry operation may present any issues that would jeopardize U.S. national security, foreign policy interests or international obligations. The payload review also seeks to ensure a license applicant, or payload owner or operator, has obtained all required licenses, authorizations, and permits, and demonstrated the launch or reentry of the payload would not jeopardize public health and safety or the safety of property.
View AC 450.31-1
Advisory Circular: Launch and Reentry Collision Avoidance Analysis
The launch and reentry collision avoidance (COLA) analysis process identifies close approaches and prevents collisions between launched and reentering objects and cataloged space objects during launch or reentry. COLA also prevents close approaches to inhabitable objects in space such as the International Space Station and the vehicles transiting to and from it.
View AC 450.169-1
Milestone: 100 FAA Licensed Commercial Space Operations so far in FY 2023
The SpaceX Starlink Group 6-11 launch on August 26 marked the milestone 100th FAA licensed space operation so far in FY 2023 with more to be added before the year ends on September 30. For comparison, there were 74 FAA licensed commercial space operations in all of FY 2022.
View data visualization of FAA licensed commercial space launches and reentries
