The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Friday that it is streamlining a key commercial space launch and reentry license process, declaring that certain flight safety analyses in California, Florida, and Virginia now meet requirements. The FAA recognized that commercial space companies often face challenges in meeting flight safety analysis requirements before launches. This change aims to reduce the amount of material applicants must submit, enhancing both the efficiency of the FAA’s technical review and speeding up the process for companies like SpaceX, which have previously complained about delays in obtaining launch licenses.
“This change is a force multiplier in producing quality flight safety analyses that the FAA can readily accept,” said Kelvin Coleman, the FAA’s Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation.
The announcement comes just a day after FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker announced he would step down when President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month. In September, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, a close adviser to Trump, criticized Whitaker’s leadership and called for his resignation following a $633,000 fine imposed on SpaceX for violating launch license requirements.
In recent months, the FAA has taken other steps to expedite launch approvals. For example, on October 12, the FAA approved SpaceX’s Starship 5 launch license ahead of schedule, and it quickly authorized the return to flight of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 following a September mishap after reviewing the company’s corrective actions.
In late October, Senator Jerry Moran called on the FAA to improve its speed and transparency in issuing rocket launch licenses. The FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation, responsible for regulating private rocket launches to ensure public safety, has long argued for more funding to expand its licensing team.
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