FAA creating new committee to update launch regulations

U.S. launch regulations could soon get an overhaul.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced today (Nov. 14) that it's creating a new committee to review and update its "Part 450" launch and reentry licensing rule.

"The FAA is seeking to update the licensing rule to foster more clarity, flexibility, efficiency and innovation," Kelvin Coleman, the FAA's associate administrator for commercial space transportation, said in a statement today. "Making timely licensing determinations without compromising public safety is a top priority."

Part 450 was implemented in March 2021 to help streamline the licensing process, according to today's statement. But the agency believes more such work is needed, given the ever-increasing cadence of private launches from American soil.

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The FAA licensed 148 "commercial space operations" in fiscal year 2024, which ran from Oct. 1, 2023 through Sept. 30 of this year. That was a 30% increase from FY 2023, and the agency thinks the number could more than double by FY 2028, according to the statement.

Most of the action is driven by SpaceX. The company has already launched more than 100 orbital missions this calendar year, most of them dedicated to building out its Starlink broadband megaconstellation in low Earth orbit.

Elon Musk has frequently complained about the FAA and regulations in general, claiming that the current system stifles the American launch industry. The billionaire SpaceX founder and CEO may now be in a position to relax launch rules; President-elect Donald Trump just appointed him to co-lead the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), a new organization that aims to "dismantle government bureaucracy" and "slash excess regulations."

But today's FAA news is not a reaction to Trump's election or the establishment of DOGE; according to SpaceNews' Jeff Foust, the new committee "has been planned for months."

The new rulemaking committee will consist of people from the space industry and academia, according to today's FAA statement. The group will outline recommended changes to Part 450 in a report that's expected to be submitted by late summer 2025.

"The FAA is committed to enabling the success of the U.S. commercial space transportation industry, ensuring the U.S. remains the preeminent commercial space country of choice and maintaining the industry’s strong safety record," FAA officials wrote in today's statement. "Reaching a license approval in a timely and efficient manner is central to achieving these outcomes and requires a partnership between the FAA and the industry."