House Passes Commercial Space Bill to Authorize FAA Studies on Airspace Operation Impacts

The House has passed legislation that would authorize the Federal Aviation Administration to consider impacts on space operations in any study to analyze proposed structures’ impact on airspace operations, Space News reported Thursday.

Jeff Fouse writes House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California) introduced the bill to let the FAA study the impact on launch and reentry of launch and reentry vehicles.

“Similar to airports, for our spaceports to function we need to prioritize safety and minimize the risk of structures interfering with the flight path of spacecraft on launch or reentry,” noted McCarthy.

The House Science Committee has also approved a bill called the To Research, Evaluate, Assess and Treat astronauts act that works to address astronaut health issues.