FAA Urged to Accelerate Rocket Licensing Process

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran has urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to expedite the review process for commercial rocket launch licenses. Moran, who is the senior Republican member of the Senate Commerce aviation subcommittee, expressed his concerns in a letter to FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker on October 25. In his correspondence, Moran emphasized the need for the FAA's commercial space office to enhance "transparency, accountability, and the speed of implementation."

The senator's letter reflects broader industry dissatisfaction with the FAA, particularly from companies like Elon Musk's SpaceX. SpaceX has been pressuring the FAA to keep pace with the growing U.S. space sector through numerous Starship test launches and Falcon 9 flights. Musk himself has publicly supported former President Donald Trump's reelection campaign this year and expressed a desire to eliminate what he described as "inefficient" and "unnecessary" U.S. government regulations.

The FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation is responsible for regulating private launches and rocket sites to ensure public safety. Despite increased funding requests to expand its licensing team, staff hiring has proven to be a challenging process.

However, there have been signs of progress recently. The FAA approved a test launch license for SpaceX's Starship earlier than expected this month and completed multiple accident investigations related to Falcon 9. Despite these advances, Moran pointed out that delays in processing changes to existing licenses could jeopardize critical rocket development programs vital to national security missions and initiatives aimed at returning Americans to the Moon.

SpaceX plays a significant role in the U.S. space program, with NASA planning to use the company's Starship rocket to land astronauts on the Moon by the end of 2026. The Pentagon also relies on SpaceX for nearly half of its national security space missions.

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