https://spacewatch.global/tag/faa/ AN INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE Wed, 14 Jan 2026 22:13:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://spacewatch.global/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SpaceWatchGlobal-Sign-90x90.png https://spacewatch.global/tag/faa/ 32 32 https://spacewatch.global/2026/01/spacewatchgl-opinion-spaceport-rush-hour/ Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=70338
Written Tom Roeder
The Federal Aviation Administration celebrated its 1,000th commercial space launch in August, but the milestone that was 68 years in the making could seem miniscule in coming years as the agency readies for an unprecedented number of liftoffs.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/08/spacewatchgl-opinion-global-space-governance-under-pressure-from-u-s-deregulation/ Wed, 20 Aug 2025 08:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=67165 On 13 August 2025, the White House issued an Executive Order titled “Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry.” From where I sit as a space journalist, this marks one of the boldest—and riskiest—moves in U.S. space policy I’ve seen in years]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/08/spacex-flights-grounded-by-faa-after-falcon-9-booster-mishap/ Thu, 29 Aug 2024 06:00:18 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=56765 The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded further SpaceX launches after a Falcon 9 booster anomaly on Wednesday, 28th of August. The booster was part of a Falcon 9 mission to place Starlink satellites in orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. However, after the stage separation, the booster, intending to land on an uncrewed drone ship, suffered an anomaly and ended up tipping into the Atlantic Ocean. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/05/starship-completes-wet-dress-rehearsal-ahead-fourth-test-flight/ Thu, 23 May 2024 06:00:28 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=55316 SpaceX has completed the wet dress rehearsal in preparation for the Starship rocket's fourth test flight which is coming up in two weeks. The Company conducted the wet dress rehearsal at its Starbase site in South Texas on May 20, filling both of the vehicle's stages with cold liquid oxygen and liquid methane. According to SpaceX boss Elon Musk, the fourth flight test's primary goal is to get "through max reentry heating".]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/05/faa-to-conduct-eis-for-starship-launches-from-ksc/ Mon, 13 May 2024 06:00:51 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=55171 https://spacewatch.global/2023/11/spacex-test-launches-second-starship-rocket-to-space/ Mon, 20 Nov 2023 07:00:25 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=52382 SpaceX has conducted the second test of its Starship Rocket to launch it into Space in an attempt to evaluate the spacecraft's ability. The Spacecraft lifted off successfully but the rocket's Super Heavy first stage booster exploded in a fireball over the Gulf of Mexico after crucially maneuvering to separate with its core Starship stage. Despite the booster's explosion, Starship continued its trip to space - crossing the 100km mark - until a SpaceX company broadcaster confirmed that mission control suddenly lost contact with the vehicle.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/11/faa-completes-spacex-starship-safety-review/ Thu, 02 Nov 2023 07:00:11 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=52049 The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has completed a key portion of the launch licence review for SpaceX’s Starship. Regulators said on Tuesday they completed a safety review focused on how a Starship launch could affect public health and property. The review evaluated SpaceX’s safety organisation, system safety processes, flight safety analysis, and quantitative risk criteria for launch, reentry and vehicle disposal. The review is a key step towards SpaceX being able to launch. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/11/rocket-lab-appoints-lt-gen-armagno-as-board-member/ Thu, 02 Nov 2023 07:00:06 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=52068 Rocket Lab USA, Inc has announced the appointment of the retired U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen as a member of the Company's board of directors. Lt. Gen. Armagno joins Rocket Lab's Board after serving over 35 years in leadership positions for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/10/rocket-lab-receives-faa-authorization-to-resume-launches/ Thu, 26 Oct 2023 06:00:18 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=51945 Rocket Lab USA, Inc. has announced that it has received authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to resume Electron launches from Launch Complex 1. The authorization comes after Rocket Lab experienced an in-flight anomaly on September 19th during the Company’s 41st Electron launch and the FAA has now confirmed that Rocket Lab’s launch license remains active, which is the first step to enable launches to resume]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/09/rocket-lab-launch-update/ Wed, 20 Sep 2023 06:00:59 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=51201 Rocket Lab USA, Inc. announced that the company experienced an issue during the launch of its 41st mission. Following lift-off from Launch Complex 1, the rocket successfully completed a first-stage burn and stage separation as planned before it experienced an issue at around T+ 2 minutes and 30 seconds into flight, resulting in the end of the mission. In addition, Rocket Lab's telemetry data, which the company provided during the livestream of Tuesday's launch, showed the velocity of the rocket's upper stage decreasing shortly after its single Rutherford engine was supposed to kick on. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/04/rand-assess-spaceflight-industry-progress/ Fri, 07 Apr 2023 06:00:46 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=47850 RAND researchers have assessed the progress that the commercial spaceflight industry has made in adopting voluntary safety standards, the industry’s progress in meeting key metrics set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2017, and whether the industry has matured such that areas identified in FAA reports are ready for regulatory action. The Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015 imposes a moratorium on safety regulations until the 1st of October, 2023. The FAA will be authorised to propose and issue regulations upon expiration of the moratorium. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/01/president-biden-signs-fy2023-allocations-to-us-space-programs/ Mon, 02 Jan 2023 07:00:19 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=45737 President Biden has signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act into law and finalized funding for the 2023 financial year. The Act will see the disbursement of $1.7 trillion to fund the departments and agencies executing space programs. These include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The United States Department of Defense (DOD), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The budget will run till September 30, 2023.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/07/starship-booster-test-ends-in-fire/ Wed, 13 Jul 2022 06:00:34 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=42091 SpaceX’s first orbital Starship vehicle’s booster test ended in an anomalous fire originating from the base of the vehicle. The pad was cleared of personnel at the time of the fire, no injuries were reported. Super Heavy Booster 7 was tested at SpaceX’s Starbase complex at Boca Chica, Texas. SpaceX was planning on conducting a spin start test of the engines, which did not involve ignition.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/05/hsv-airport-granted-faa-license-to-land-commercial-space-vehicle/ Wed, 18 May 2022 06:00:23 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=41003 The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted Huntsville International Airport (HSV) a commercial space vehicle reentry license, the airport said. HSV, located in North Alabama, is the first commercial airport in the U.S. to be approved as a reentry site for a space vehicle landing.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/04/delta-air-lines-test-starlink-internet-for-planes/ Wed, 20 Apr 2022 06:00:57 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=40518 Satellite internet company Starlink is testing its wireless internet services on Delta Air Lines’ airplanes. The Atlanta-based airline said they had been in discussions with Starlink, and conducted initial tests of the technology. SpaceX Starlink CEO Elon Musk, said that the company was aiming to get certified for Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 planes as well.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/02/rocket-lab-opens-third-launch-pad/ Thu, 24 Feb 2022 07:00:07 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=39494 Rocket Lab USA has completed Pad B, its second orbital launch pad at Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand and the company’s third dedicated pad for the Electron rocket. The new launch site’s first mission will be a dedicated commercial launch for Japanese Earth-imaging company Synspective in four days, Rocket Lab said.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/02/vaya-space-launches-first-suborbital-test-flight-successfully/ Fri, 18 Feb 2022 07:00:29 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=39270 Vaya Space announced it successfully test launched its hybrid rocket, Dauntless, from Mojave, California, operating under an existing FAA waiver.  The suborbital flight validated the STAR-3D engine powered rocket design running on 3D printed fuel grains from recycled thermoplastics.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/02/spacewatchgl-opinion-space-sustainability-is-not-passive/ Thu, 10 Feb 2022 09:00:20 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=39086 On November 14th of last year, Russia deliberately destroyed one of its satellites as a test of a new anti-satellite weapon (ASAT). According to a US State Department press briefing, “this test has so far generated over fifteen hundred pieces of trackable orbital debris and will likely generate hundreds of thousands of pieces of smaller orbital debris.”]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/12/faa-delays-starship-environmental-review/ Wed, 29 Dec 2021 07:00:13 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=38193 The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it needed two more months to complete the environmental review of SpaceX Starship orbital launches from the Boca Chica facility in Texas. The FAA was unable to meet the original deadline of 31st December due to the high volume of comments submitted.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/11/starship-to-launch-in-early-2022/ Fri, 19 Nov 2021 07:00:13 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=37294 SpaceX can have Starship’s first orbital flight as early as January, pending regulatory approvals, CEO Elon Musk said at a joint meeting of the National Academies’ Space Studies Board and Board on Physics and Astronomy.  According to Musk, the company is in the final preparations of both the vehicle and their new launch site in Boca Chica, Texas.]]>