Streamlined FAA Commercial Launch and Reentry Licensing, Final Rule

Paper number

IAC-21,D6,1,1,x65121

Author

Mr. Wayne Monteith, United States, Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA/AST)

Coauthor

Ms. Michelle Murray, United States, Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA/AST)

Coauthor

Mr. Charles Huet, United States, Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA/AST)

Coauthor

Mr. John Sloan, United States, Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA/AST)

Coauthor

Dr. Ken Davidian, United States, Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA/AST)

Year

2021

Abstract

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation published the Final Rule for “Streamlined Launch and Reentry Licensing Requirements” (SLR2) in December 2020. The SLR2 Final Rule creates a flexible and performance-based 21st century licensing regime that streamlines and simplifies licensing of commercial launch and reentry operations, enables innovation, results in net cost savings to US industry, and maintains public safety.

The SLR2 Final Rule is a result of US Presidential Space Policy Directive-2 (SPD-2), “Streamlining Regulations on Commercial Use of Space,” issued in May 2018. SPD-2 assigned the Secretary of Transportation to review regulations, including consideration of “(i) requiring a single license for all types of commercial space flight launch and re-entry operations; and (ii) replacing prescriptive requirements in the commercial space flight launch and re-entry licensing process with performance-based criteria.” The Department of Transportation (DOT) delegated implementation of SPD-2 to the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA/AST). Since 1989, DOT/FAA has licensed (or permitted) over 400 commercial launches and reentries. 

The final rule consolidates the safety requirements for the launch of suborbital and orbital expendable and reusable launch vehicles, and the reentry of reentry vehicles into a new 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 450. In addition, the final rule establishes a single license by eliminating the FAA's current launch-specific license and launch operator license for ELVs, mission-specific license and operator license for RLVs, and reentry-specific license and reentry-operator license for reentry vehicles. The final rule also allows operators to apply for a single license to authorize operations at multiple launch or reentry sites. Part 450 relies on a safety framework that provides the flexibility needed to accommodate current and future launch and reentry operations and encompasses both ground safety and flight safety. The Final Rule goes into effect in March 2021. 

This paper provides an overview of FAA’s Streamlined Launch and Reentry Licensing Requirements Final Rule. The paper may be useful to countries that are considering new national frameworks for commercial space transportation, including hosting U.S. vehicles in their country that would be licensed by the FAA.

Abstract document

IAC-21,D6,1,1,x65121.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-21,D6,1,1,x65121.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.