Federal Aviation

Administration

To: REDAC NAS Ops Subcommittee

By: Dr. Michael Romanowski

 Director Commercial Space Integration

 FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

Date: August 9, 2016

Commercial Space 

Transportation (AST)

Commercial Space Transportation 

RE&D Program
Office of Commercial Space Transportation Federal Aviation

Administration 2

The FAA has a Long History with Commercial 

Space Transportation Operations

• The Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) was formed in 1985 (in the 

Office of the Secretary); joined FAA as line of business in 1995

• Commercial Space Transportation regulations in place since the 1990s – 2000s

• > 290 authorized 

launches & reentries 

– No public safety 

impacts 

• Airspace “integration” 

methods date back 

to:

– Space Shuttle 

(orbital flights) 

– Ansari X-Prize 

(sub-orbital flights)

*

* Projection

*
Office of Commercial Space Transportation Federal Aviation

Administration 3

Current Realities

NASA Commercial Services Programs

Large Satellite Deployment Business

Small Satellite Deployment Business

Suborbital Space Flight Business
Office of Commercial Space Transportation Federal Aviation

Administration 4

Current Realities

NASA Commercial Services Programs

Large Satellite Deployment Business

Small Satellite Deployment Business

Suborbital Space Flight Business
Federal Aviation Office of Commercial Space Transportation Administration

The Industry

US Launch Sites – Significant Investments by States, Local Authorities & Industry

5

• Kodiak 

Launch 

Complex

 

♦

♦

Vandenberg 

AFB

•

California 

Spaceport •

Mojave Air and 

Spaceport

♦

Edwards AFB

♦

White Sands 

Missile Range

Spaceport

America

Oklahoma Spaceport

♦

Wallops 

Flight

Facility

•

Spaceport Florida

Mid-Atlantic

Regional Spaceport

 Key

 Federal Launch/Landing Site

 FAA-Licensed Launch Site

 Exclusive Use Sites

•

Cecil Field 

Spaceport •

•

•

-Kennedy Space 

Center

-Cape Canaveral

Air Force Station

• •

West Texas

McGregor

 ♦

 •

 •

Midland 

■ Spaceport

Houston 

Spaceport

■

Reagan Test Site

Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands

 Potential Future 

Spaceports

Texas

Georgia

Alabama

Colorado

Hawaii

Florida

Arizona

Brownsville

M • ahia Peninsula

New Zealand 
Federal Aviation

Administration

6

Commercial Space R&D Development

• Research projects within Safe and Efficient Integration may include:

– Improving integration of launch sites (i.e., spaceports) into the NAS and its 

system of airports, including sites in the vicinity of major airports or complex airspace.

– Exploring the development of separation standards for improved airspace 

management of launch/reentry vehicles during non-explosive phases of flight.

– Improving airspace integration planning for return to land-based sites to decrease 

the amount of airspace closed to air traffic operations by using higher fidelity input data 

and models.

– Improving real-time monitoring of launch/reentry vehicle operations for airspace 

integration, to decrease the amount of airspace closed to regular air traffic operations 

and expedite response to off-nominal scenarios. 

– Developing and validating improved noise models for commercial space launch 

operations at inland launch sites, including spaceports co-located with airports.

– Improving methods for launch and reentry collision avoidance analysis to 

produce more efficient launch and reentry planning and NAS integration.
Office of Commercial Space Transportation Federal Aviation

Administration 7

• Spaceports are a critical driver of AST R&D needs

• Aspects embody a broad spectrum of research questions

• Location and concept of operations of proposed sites 

have potential implications on:

• Public safety

• Air traffic

• Airports

• Environment 

• Types of operations to be hosted, frequency of 

operations, timing of operations, etc. all need to be 

analyzed and addressed 

Spaceport Integration
Office of Commercial Space Transportation Federal Aviation

Administration 8

Example: Houston Spaceport 
Office of Commercial Space Transportation Federal Aviation

Administration 9

•Exploratory tool proved viability of 

concept; further work needed to 

mature

• Factors include:

 Inland/coastal

 Proximity to airports/co-location

 Proximity to critical infrastructure

 Horizontal/vertical launch

 Local airspace 

 Neighboring air & ship traffic

 Local population density

 Planned launch services

R&D to Assist Spaceport Siting & Integration

Enable applicants to explore trade-space considerations – identifying and quantifying key 

factors for integrating spaceports in proposed locations 
Federal Aviation

Administration

Example Output – Highlights Areas of Program Risk 

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Office of Commercial Space Transportation Federal Aviation

Administration 11

• Separation of aircraft from 

airspace (aircraft hazard areas)

• Separation of aircraft from 

launch/reentry vehicles

• non-explosive flight phases 

like captive carry and 

gliding return

Leveraging Research: Separation Standards

• Research to define separation standards specific to 

launch/reentry operations:
Office of Commercial Space Transportation Federal Aviation

Administration 12

• Modelling & understanding of space vehicle noise, sonic boom, and other 

effects on environmentally sensitive areas and communities needs further work

• Gather noise measurements, validate and modify models for rocket noise 

and sonic boom

Leveraging Research: Noise
Federal Aviation

Administration

Discussion

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Federal Aviation

Administration

14

PPT Portfolio Overview

• The Commercial Space Transportation RE&D portfolio will 

enable advances in critical areas such as:

– Safe and efficient integration of increased commercial space launch and 

reentry activity in to the national airspace

– Advanced safety assessment methods 

– Advanced vehicle safety technologies and methodologies, and

– Human space flight safety and physiology factors

• Funding enables maturation of concepts for follow-on use in 

methods, systems, operations and the regulatory framework

• Funding also sustains cooperative, innovative R&D within the 

FAA’s Commercial Space COE
Office of Commercial Space Transportation Federal Aviation

Administration 15

Launch 

Site:

Exploratory 

Discussions

Pre-Application

Coordination

(Site)

Application 

Evaluation

(Site)

Launch Site 

Operator License 

Launch 

Vehicle 

Operations:

Exploratory 

Discussions

Pre-Application 

Coordination

(Launch License)

Application 

Evaluation

(Launch 

License)

Launch License 

(for operation(s) 

at commercial 

launch site)

Licensing Process Overview for Commercial Launch Site Launch Site Operator License Issuance

•Application Submission

Application Submission

Site Operator

Site Customer

Launch Operator
Office of Commercial Space Transportation Federal Aviation

Administration 16

National Airspace System (NAS) Integration

Licensing & Permitting – Generic Process Flow

Pre-application Consultation Evaluation Launch/Reentry Ops

Environmental Review

Public Safety Review Safety Inspection

Monitoring

Policy Review

Payload Review

Financial 

Responsibility

Initial Discussions