US DEVELOPMENTS
FAA announced that commercial space launch and reentry licensing will now occur under Part 450
The agency presents this as a streamlined approach that consolidates earlier rules into a single licensing framework with more flexibility and more methods of compliance, reducing administrative and cost burdens on industry and the FAA.
For European space operators with U.S. launch, spectrum, or market exposure, Part 450 matters immediately. A more consolidated U.S. licensing regime can affect launch planning, transaction allocation of regulatory risk, and comparative assessments against emerging or future European licensing models.
NASA’s ISAM State of Play 2025 flags that ISAM-specific guidance is only beginning to emerge through organisations such as the FCC and standards-setting bodies
That is important since on-orbit servicing and related activities still sit in a developing governance environment rather than a settled one.
NASA’s deorbit systems material highlights the continued salience of debris-mitigation timing rules and FCC regulation
The material notes the historical 25-year low Earth orbit guideline and the more recent U.S. focus on the FCC’s updated 5-year lifetime rule and the creation of the FCC Space Bureau in April 2023.
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