FAA Eyes Streamlined Spaceflight Licensing Through New Rulemaking Committee

The Federal Aviation Administration will set up an agency that would establish a new spaceflight licensing process.

According to Kelvin Coleman, associate administrator for commercial space transportation at the FAA, the agency would create an aerospace rulemaking committee that would identify ways to streamline licensing processes identified in the “Part 450” regulation set. Coleman said the SpARC would give the space industry new ways to improve Part 450 in areas like launch and reentry and treatment for vehicles in a test flight program.

The planned agency was announced after industry members voiced their concerns about licensing delays caused by the implementation of Part 450, which were raised by the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee and during a Senate meeting in October.

Coleman said the committee should be set up by the fall of 2024, two years before all space industry members have to secure Part 450 licenses, SpaceNews reported.

The FAA is also dealing with other issues regarding spaceflight regulations.

In October, Congress extended a moratorium on the FAA’s ability to regulate commercial spaceflight safety from Oct. to Jan. 1 as lawmakers deliberate a longer reauthorization for the agency. The moratorium came as the spaceflight industry seeks to continue a “learning period” allowing for free experimentation before the FAA introduces passenger protections.