The Federal Aviation Administration is inviting industry experts to give recommendations regarding its plan to form a new aerospace rulemaking committee for securely reviewing and approving flight launch and reentry licenses.
The agency announced Wednesday that the new committee SpARC will help prepare FAA-licensed launch and reentry operators comply with Part 450 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
The plan to create a new committee was triggered by the surge in FAA license applications from commercial space operators in 2023. Last year, the number of licensed commercial operators tripled to 124 compared to that in 2020. They are expected to increase by more than twofold by 2026.
The agency has increased the number of staff working on the applications, developed several guidelines and created an electronic portal to facilitate the submission process.
“The SpARC input will help us reduce the burden on commercial space transportation applicants and licensees and enable the FAA to process applications and make safety determinations with greater expediency,” remarked Kelvin Coleman, associate administrator for FAA’s commercial space transportation division.
FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet in April to discuss the Part 450 requirements for launch and reentry licensing.
