Space News by Jeff Foust December 15, 2024
The Federal Aviation Administration is taking a step to streamline licensing for launch operators as the agency faces continues pressure to accelerate that process.
The FAA announced Dec. 13 that it will accept flight safety analyses performed by federal launch ranges in California, Florida and Virginia in applications for launch licenses under regulations known as Part 450.
That decision means that companies will no longer have to perform similar analyses specifically for the FAA as part of the licensing process. Launch companies had complained of the duplication of work needed to carry out FAA analyses in addition to those required by the ranges they were launching from.
In a statement, Kelvin Coleman, FAA associate administrator for commercial space transportation, called the move a “force multiplier” for the industry. “It also lessens the paperwork burden on the applicant and helps to speed the FAA review process.”
More:
https://spacenews.com/faa-takes-step-to-streamline-launch-licensing-process/
