Legacy Regulations

This page is intended as a repository for legacy launch and reentry regulations (Part 415/417, Part 431, or Part 435) that will be removed from the CFR on March 10, 2026. Licenses issued under Legacy Regulations will expire no later than March 9, 2026 and no new license applications are being accepted under legacy regulations.  Vehicle operators will need to come into compliance with Part 450 to continue operations after March 9, 2026. Please see the Vehicle Operator Licenses page for more information on Part 450 regulations, guidance materials, and workshop videos.

If you are seeking information on a new license, permit, or approval, please use our Commercial Space Transportation Assistance Tool.

Vehicle Operator Licenses

REGULATIONS (CFR Link) TITLE APPLICATION CHECKLIST (MS EXCEL)
14 CFR Part 415 / 417 (Legacy) Expendable Launch License Part 415 Launch License (other than RLV) Checklist (MS Excel)
Part 417 Launch Safety (ELV) Checklist (MS Excel)
14 CFR Part 431 (Legacy) Reusable Launch Vehicle Part 431 Launch and Reentry of RLV Checklist (MS Excel)
14 CFR Part 435 (Legacy) Launch and Reentry Vehicle Part 435 Reentry of a Reentry Vehicle Other than RLV Checklist (MS Excel)

Legacy License Guidance Materials

Title Publication Date
450 Crosswalk Mapping to Legacy Regulations (PDF) 11/2020
Guide to Reusable Launch and Reentry Vehicle Software and Computing System Safety (PDF) 7/2006
Guidance for Medical Screening of Commercial Aerospace Passengers (PDF) 1/2006
Guide to Probability of Failure Analysis for New Expendable Launch Vehicles (PDF) 11/2005
Guide to Verifying Safety-Critical Structures for Reusable Launch and Reentry Vehicles, Version 1.0 (PDF) 11/2005
Guide to the Identification of Safety-Critical Hardware Items for Reusable Launch Vehicle Developers (PDF) 5/2005
Guide to Reusable Launch and Reentry Vehicle Reliability Analysis (PDF) 4/2005
Guide to Commercial RLV Operations and Maintenance Version 1.0 (PDF) 3/2005
Non-traditional Flight Safety Systems and IVHM (PDF) 8/2003
Guide to RLV Safety Validation and Verification Planning Version 1.0 (PDF) 9/2003
Supplemental Application Guidance for Unguided Suborbital Launch Vehicles (MS Word Docs) 8/1998
Advisory Circular 431.35-2A: Reusable launch and reentry vehicle system safety process 7/2005
Last updated: Wednesday, August 28, 2024