The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced revisions to its licensing regulations in order to prevent unauthorized spacecraft reentries, following a situation last year where a spacecraft launched without proper approvals. The FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation will now require spacecraft designed to reenter to have a reentry license before granting approval for launch. This change is aimed at prioritizing safety and addressing concerns regarding uncontrolled reentries.

In a notice published in the Federal Register on April 17, the FAA highlighted the importance of evaluating the safety of reentry prior to launch. Unlike payloads designed to operate solely in outer space, a reentry vehicle contains primary components that need to withstand reentry intact, with a predictable ground impact. The FAA emphasized that allowing a spacecraft to launch without a reentry license poses risks that exceed those accepted for licensed reentry operations.

The decision to revise the licensing regulations comes after Varda Space Industries launched its first spacecraft in June 2023 without obtaining a reentry license until February. The company received the license after extensive efforts and a rejected application. Varda successfully landed its capsule at the Utah Test and Training Range a week after obtaining the license.

Kelvin Coleman, the FAA associate administrator for commercial space transportation, acknowledged that lessons were learned from the Varda mission during the 39th Space Symposium on April 10. He stated that policy changes would be implemented to ensure that companies have their reentry licenses prior to launch, emphasizing that launching "at risk" would no longer be permitted due to public safety concerns.

Varda Space Industries affirmed in a statement to SpaceNews that they complied with all requirements before launching their spacecraft, and once the FAA issued the license, their flight-proven reentry system safely landed in Utah. The company expressed its commitment to working with the FAA and other federal regulators as reentry operation policies continue to evolve.

Currently, there are only two active reentry licenses listed by the FAA, one for Varda and the other for SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. However, as more companies express interest in returning cargo or crew from space, the FAA expects the demand for reentry licenses to increase. Therefore, the agency aims to stay ahead by clarifying policies and requirements prior to launch.

One such example of growing interest in commercial spacecraft reentry is the startup Inversion, which plans to launch its first reentry vehicle, called Ray, on SpaceX's Transporter-12 mission in October. Inversion did not disclose the status of its licensing efforts for this mission.

The FAA's move to update licensing regulations reinforces the importance of safety and risk evaluation in the rapidly expanding commercial space industry. By requiring reentry licenses prior to launch, the FAA aims to ensure the responsible and secure return of spacecraft from space, setting a precedent for future missions.