EIGHT AVIATION GROUPS COMMENT ON FAA’S COMMERCIAL SPACE LICENSING RULEMAKING
September 16, 2019
Eight aviation interest groups, including the Air Line Pilots Association, Airlines for America, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Airports Council International – North America, American Association of Airport Executives, the Cargo Airline Association, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, and the Regional Airline Association, (the Group) filed a comment on the FAA’s proposed rule to streamline the commercial space launch and reentry requirements. The Group’s comment requested that the FAA prioritize safety and efficiency, by integrating commercial space users into the National Airspace System (NAS).
The comment requests that the safety requirements for commercial space certification and operations correspond with the expectations of the flying public. Specifically, the Group asks that the Final Rule:
- Formalize the time-based launch procedures under development by the Joint Space Operations Group (JSpOG) located at the Air Traffic Control System Command Center;
- Develop new procedures to improve launch planning;
- Create ATC surveillance and tracking capabilities to include automated depictions of hazard areas and launch vehicles;
- Improve and uniform the hazard mitigation policies; and
- Implement a space-based ADS-B that provides enhanced surveillance capabilities.
Finally, the Group requests that commercial space licensees pay into the government’s air traffic management system to help cover the costs they will impose on the system. The FAA estimated that commercial space operations could double by 2023, and the Group is calling for the safe and efficient integration of commercial space into the NAS.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6622); Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6665), or Alexander Matthews (amatthews@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6633).
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