FAA: New guidance for commercial space launches will help balance air traffic flow
The Federal Aviation Administration has a role in every flight, and not just the terrestrial ones. Any craft that’s headed into outer space also needs to get approval from air traffic controllers to ensure that space flight is as safe as a journey between two cities.
With more private space launches than ever, and staffing issues continuing at the FAA, the agency announced new guidelines for space launch approvals to ensure that air traffic controllers aren’t stretched too thin, especially as the summer travel peak approaches.
“Due to the increasing pace of space activity, the FAA is taking steps to optimize and equitably manage the airspace in the vicinity of launch sites,” a statement from the FAA said. “The agency will rely on a set of objective factors to better balance the needs of launch licensees, as well as airlines, general aviation and the military to minimize disruptions.”
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Why is the FAA changing space launch guidelines?
According to the agency, the cadence of commercial space launches has increased significantly since 2014 and is now causing much more congestion in parts of the national airspace.
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With many space flights taking off on the Eastern Seaboard, an already-crowded sector of the airspace for commercial flights, those closures can create major headaches for air traffic controllers. Especially during bad weather, they can make it even more difficult to route planes efficiently and can lead to delays and cancellations throughout the national aviation network.
As the FAA struggles with staffing, space flight control has been under more scrutiny.
How will space launches be approved?
Under the new guidelines, the FAA will consider a number of factors in prioritizing and scheduling space launches.
Key factors include:
- Location and timing of the launch
- The number of flights and/or passengers that will be affected by the operation
- Holidays or significant events that typically see increased air traffic, like Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break, the Super Bowl, or major military exercises
- Launch window duration
- Mission purpose: The FAA says it will generally prioritize commercial space operations that are in the national interest or have a national security purpose or those that are carrying a payload
As part of the timing consideration, the FAA urges commercial space ventures to schedule launches for overnight hours, when there is typically less regular air traffic.
The FAA said alternative launch plans might be deemed necessary depending on the countervailing factors.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com