FAA – Record Commercial Space Operations in 2023

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During 2023, there was a record 124 FAA licensed commercial space operations, the FAA said today. This includes 117 launches and seven reentries. That’s triple the number of total operations in 2020.

“These record numbers are possible due to the growing capabilities of industry and the FAA working to meet the demand for launch and reentry license approvals,” said FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation Kelvin Coleman. “As the industry innovates, so too is the FAA. We are using our regulatory authorities in certain initiatives to help the industry launch faster and more frequently without sacrificing safety.”

The FAA is responsible for the safe and efficient integration of space operations into the US airspace system, the busiest and most complex in the world. This includes space operations for FAA-licensed commercial space operators, for NASA, the US military and other government agencies.

Prior to 2014, space operations were relatively infrequent and the FAA accommodated them on an as needed basis by closing relatively large volumes of airspace for extended periods of time. Today, as the pace of space launches and reentries is increasing, the FAA is directly involved in the airspace planning process. The FAA said it is using technology and operating procedures to:

• Keep airspace open longer before closure.
• Reduce how much airspace is closed and for how long.
• Reopen airspace sooner after it is no longer needed.
• Reroute only the aircraft directly affected by the operation.
• Track space vehicles in near-real time during flight.
• Respond quickly to missions experiencing an anomaly.

“Whether it’s issuing new licenses or renewing or modifying current licenses. The FAA is streamlining the process. Reducing duplicative requirements and providing useful guidance, we’ve also hired more staff to process license applications and are undertaking other improvements. Looking forward, we expect the total number of licensed commercial space operations to almost double again by 2026,” said Coleman.