Commercial space launches have surged, breaking records over the past five years. This year alone is averaging four flights a week. With this increased activity, there is no shortage of interest from the news media and the flying public on what the FAA's role is in ensuring the safety and efficiency of commercial space launch and reentry operations. Here are some facts around what the FAA does.

Question: How does the FAA regulate the safety of commercial space tourists? 

Fact: While the FAA has broad licensing authority to regulate commercial space flights with humans aboard, since 2004 a congressional moratorium, currently set to expire in 2028, has prohibited the FAA from issuing regulations for the safety of people on board. The FAA verifies that the space vehicle operates as intended, to protect the safety of people and property not involved in the operation, but it does not certify the vehicle as safe for carrying passengers.

The FAA safety regulations do include requirements for flight crew qualifications and training so that the operation of the vehicle will not harm the public. Operators must provide space flight participants with information about the risks and hazards before a licensed launch or reentry. The operators must provide the space flight participants an opportunity to ask questions and give their written informed consent before they can fly.  

In April 2025, the FAA received recommendations from a Human Space Flight Occupant Safety Aerospace Rulemaking Committee for possible future regulations. 

Question: Does the FAA call commercial space tourists ‘astronauts?’ 

Fact: The title of ‘astronaut’ is reserved for an employee of the U.S. Government or an international partner. Others who are carried aboard a commercial launch or reentry vehicle are called either a member of the flight crew or a space flight participant.     

Question: Who leads all commercial space launch mishap investigations? 

Fact: The FAA requires all licensed commercial space operators to have a plan to report, respond, and investigate a mishap. Depending on the nature and consequences of the mishap, the FAA or the National Transportation Safety Board may decide to conduct the investigation, but typically the FAA oversees an operator-led investigation.  

The FAA makes sure the operator is implementing its approved mishap plan and conducts a thorough review before accepting the operator’s findings and final report, including any corrective actions. The FAA authorizes a return to flight of the vehicle involved, only after determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety.  

While the media sometimes suggests that the timing of a mishap completion rests with the FAA, the operator sets the pace of an operator-led investigation and there is no set period to complete it.

Question: Can space vehicles fly while a mishap investigation is ongoing? 

Fact: Following a mishap, the FAA requires the operator to identify and implement measures to prevent a reoccurrence.  

Public safety is the first priority when determining whether the vehicle involved in a mishap may continue flights, referred to as “return to flight.” 

While the operator conducts the investigation, the FAA may allow return to flight after the agency considers several factors, including but not limited to the nature of the mishap, the performance of safety-critical systems, location of the debris impacts and the continued validity of the operator’s Flight Safety Analysis. 

A vehicle may return to flight when the FAA closes the final mishap investigation report, or the FAA makes a return to flight determination while the mishap investigation remains open.  

Question: What is the primary cause of commercial space licensing delays? 

Fact: The FAA is committed to enabling safe operations of U.S. commercial space transportation and continued growth of the industry. Timely and efficient license determinations are central to a strong partnership.

Under federal law, the FAA has up to 180 days after accepting an application to approve or deny a new launch or reentry license. In the last two years, the FAA has consistently met this deadline, on average in 93 days, but the timing depends on a number of factors including the complexity of the space vehicle and type of operation.

The pace of the licensing process depends on several applicant-driven variables. These include whether the operators change their mission profile or objectives from their initial application, how thorough and well justified their safety analyses are, and whether the application meets all the regulatory requirements for their type of mission. 

The FAA continually fine-tunes its internal processes and policies and is developing enhanced tools to automate license application submission and evaluation. The FAA has expanded its educational outreach to the industry with additional pre-application consultation opportunities, advisory circulars, and online workshops. These offerings help operators better understand the requirements, submit complete applications with sound justifications, minimize changes to their applications during the evaluation period, respond to FAA requests for information in a timely manner, and improve mission planning to reduce license modifications. 

Regulation is not a barrier to innovation. When users build regulatory compliance into their development processes, it demonstrates their commitment to safety and operating by the rules.

Final Fact: The FAA will continue to educate the public on commercial space transportation. 

As the commercial space industry evolves, the FAA will continue to educate and inform the public how we partner with operators and regulate the airspace for safe and efficient operations.