Impact of Commercial Space Launch Activities on Aviation

Impact of Commercial Space Launch Activities on Aviation

link to page 1 link to page 2

November 1, 2019
Impact of Commercial Space Launch Activities on Aviation
Introduction
begun signing leases and building infrastructure at these
Congress has encouraged the growth of commercial space
sites in anticipation of an uptick in operations.
activities by requiring federal agencies to use private launch
services and establishing offices to oversee commercial
Developments in the broader commercial space sector point
activity. In 2018, 35 commercially licensed launch and
to growth in the number of launches. Virgin Galactic has
reentry events occurred at U.S. spaceports, a 100% increase
pre-sold about 700 seats for suborbital flights aboard its
from the 2016 level. Some forecasts project a rapid increase
FAA-licensed commercial spacecraft, which can carry six
in demand for commercial launch services in coming years.
passengers and is expected to launch from New Mexico.
The growth in launch activity has been accompanied by a
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) submitted a
rise in the number of commercial launch providers and
proposal in October 2019 to the International
locations—spaceports—licensed for launch services.
Telecommunication Union to add an additional 30,000
satellites to its existing Starlink constellation. SpaceX
Expanded commercial space activity has brought increasing
launched its first Starlink payload of 60 satellites from Cape
attention to the use of U.S. airspace. Interest groups
Canaveral, FL, in May 2019; thousands of new satellites—
representing airlines and general aviation have voiced
even small ones—could require hundreds of hours of closed
concerns about more frequent restrictions of airspace to
airspace for launch windows. Many commercial launch
accommodate commercial launch events. The Federal
sites are located along major airline routes (Figure 2).
Aviation Administration (FAA), which controls the use of
the national airspace, has been challenged to accommodate
Launch windows are short periods of time—usually a few
the needs of commercial space launch operators and their
hours a day over several days—during which conditions are
clients while at the same time ensuring the safety of
optimal for a launch. They are often bound by orbital
traditional aircraft operations, which it predicts will also
mechanics and mission requirements and can close at short
grow (Figure 1).
notice due to environmental factors like weather. For
satellite launches and other launches to orbit, careful
Figure 1. Commercial Launch Forecast Through 2021
calculations identify when a rocket must be launched from
Earth to intersect the orbital plane of its destination. As a
consequence, operators have little control over the timing of
launch activities. They identify a window and ask FAA to
clear the necessary airspace during that time.
The experience of the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska
(PSCA), a launch site on a remote island that lies beneath a
trans-Pacific airline route between North America and Asia,
illustrates the potential conflicts between space activity and
aviation. PSCA had its first two commercial launches in
2018. According to the president of Alaska Aerospace,
which runs the spaceport, these launch windows required
airspace restrictions for several days in a row, forcing

international carriers to fly hundreds of miles out of their
Source: FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation.
way. This resulted in expending additional fuel and
increasing travel time for passengers.
The Commercial Space Infrastructure
FAA has approved licenses for 11 commercial spaceports in
Managing Traffic in the Skies
Virginia, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Alaska, California,
In addition to licensing each commercial launch facility,
New Mexico, and Colorado. Additional sites have been
FAA requires commercial launch operators to obtain
proposed in Florida, Hawaii, Texas, Georgia, and Michigan.
separate licenses or permits for their missions, though it is
Some of these sites have been licensed for limited purposes.
beginning to streamline these requirements for multiple
Certain spaceports are certified only for horizontal launch,
launches of the same vehicle. No later than 60 days ahead
in which a launch vehicle is attached to an aircraft that
of a requested launch, a licensed operator must file a
takes off from a runway. Others are approved for suborbital
detailed application to FAA containing launch plans and
launch, in which a vehicle travels just short of orbit before
payload information. The operator must submit a safety
returning to Earth.
analysis update 30 days prior to a scheduled launch and a
detailed plan for the day of launch 15 days prior.
Most commercial spaceports licensed by FAA are used
infrequently if at all. However, several companies have
https://crsreports.congress.gov

Impact of Commercial Space Launch Activities on Aviation
Figure 2. Major Airline Flight Corridors Near Spaceports

Source: CRS analysis and presentation of April 2019 FAA data.
Inflexible launch windows can coincide with busy travel
The Future of Airspace Traffic Management
periods for airlines. Air traffic volume sometimes plays a
FAA’s current system closes airspace based on
role in FAA’s decision to approve a particular launch
approximation of hazard areas. It does not track live launch
window. In one such case, FAA denied a commercial
and reentry activities or generate real-time calculations of
launch from Cape Canaveral, FL, during the week of
exactly which airspace would be affected by unexpected
Thanksgiving 2013, because the requested window fell
falling debris if a launch fails.
within the year’s projected heaviest airline travel period.
Therefore, FAA must restrict significant airspace for an
Once a launch is scheduled, multiple FAA divisions and
hour or longer for a launch event that may last 10 minutes.
regional offices are responsible for different parts of the
If the launch is delayed due to weather or technical issues,
airspace management process. FAA’s Office of
the airspace closure may last longer than scheduled. This
Commercial Space Transportation (AST) is charged with
can result in extra fuel consumption, lost dollars and time
ensuring public safety on the ground and at sea during
for airlines and passengers, and rerouted flights. For
launch and reentry operations. FAA’s Air Traffic
example, the February 2018 SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch
Organization (ATO) is responsible for aircraft and
from Florida required more than 1,000 miles of closed
passenger safety in the air during launches.
airspace for three hours, which resulted in 563 flight delays
and more than 34,000 additional miles flown. Any
The area and duration of airspace restriction are largely
additional operating costs due to airspace closures are borne
based on a vehicle’s anticipated trajectory and operations.
by aircraft operators: a 2018 study conducted by Embry-
Some launches require larger closure areas to protect other
Riddle Aeronautical University calculated that individual
airspace users from planned debris like jettisoned payload
launch events typically cost airlines between $10,000 and
fairings or rocket stages returning to Earth. Certain
$30,000 in extra fuel required to avoid airspace closures.
payloads may need to arrive at a specific on-orbit location
at a precise time in order to rendezvous with an existing
Since 2014, FAA has been developing technology that will
satellite constellation or the International Space Station.
track launches and automatically integrate that data within
the air traffic management system. This common operating
Under the current process, a team of ATO and AST
picture—the Space Data Integrator—is expected to allow
personnel uses computer modeling to account for variability
FAA to close smaller areas of airspace and for shorter
in performance of the launch vehicle, atmospheric
windows. It is designed to also enable immediate responses
conditions, and other factors to determine how much
to launch failures by identifying which specific airspace
airspace to close. Once they establish the boundaries of the
could be at risk. FAA is testing a prototype, but there is no
restricted airspace and the duration of flight restrictions for
date set for deployment.
aircraft, FAA issues a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) with
details, usually 10 days ahead of the launch. FAA
Regulatory Developments
coordinates with other federal agencies, spaceport
In April 2019, FAA published a Notice of Proposed
personnel, regional air traffic controllers, U.S. military
Rulemaking (FAA-2019-0229) setting forth reforms
aviation units, and other airspace users during each launch
intended to streamline the launch licensing process. The
to make sure all affected area is clear. This process is not
proposal was criticized by many space industry and general
always seamless or transparent to all airspace users. The
aviation stakeholders, and a Senate Appropriations
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), an interest
Committee report (S.Rept. 116-109) cited regulatory and
group representing the general aviation interests, has cited
cost inefficiencies arising from the proposal. The proposal
inconsistencies in designations of aircraft hazard areas and
remains pending.
called on FAA to make launch information easier to access.
Alyssa K. King, Analyst in Transportation Policy
IF11351
https://crsreports.congress.gov

Impact of Commercial Space Launch Activities on Aviation

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11351 · VERSION 1 · NEW