FAA Under Fire For Space Launch Licensing Delays

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is drawing criticism from both industry stakeholders and members of Congress regarding its handling of commercial space launch licensing

During a House space subcommittee hearing this week, industry officials and  lawmakers called out the agency on its implementation of new launch licensing regulations known as Part 450. According to SpaceNews, Dave Cavossa, president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, a group representing several launch companies, criticized the FAA for causing significant licensing delays, creating confusion and threatening the U.S.'s leadership in the sector.

Meanwhile, SpaceX has condemned the FAA for what it calls excessive delays in the licensing process for its upcoming Starship rocket launch, noting that approval is anticipated to take months longer than initially expected. The company says its license for Starship Flight 5 is delayed until at least November despite its readiness since August.

However, head of the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation office, Kelvin Coleman, testified that the FAA has taken several measures to streamline its process including creating advisory circulars, increasing staff levels and forming a committee to expedite license approvals.

The FAA says delays with SpaceX are due to the company modifying the profile for its next Starship launch while only providing updated environmental impact information in mid-August, which called for additional review with other agencies.

In a statement on its website, SpaceX argued the delays weren’t about safety but rather “driven by superfluous environmental analysis.”