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SpaceX Gets First Private FAA Space Reentry License

Posted by kdawson on from the interpanetary-driver's-license dept.

coondoggie sends in a Network World story that begins "Space Exploration Technologies (Space X) got the first-ever Federal Aviation Administration license allowing the reentry to Earth of a privately developed spacecraft. The license was needed because the Space X Dragon space capsule is scheduled to launch atop Space X's Falcon 9 rocket on Dec. 7 and return to earth. The Launch of the rocket had already been approved by the FAA. The FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation noted that it has licensed over 200 successful launches."

8 of 108 comments (clear)

  1. What? by MrOctogon · · Score: 5, Funny

    You need a license to reenter earth? I can imagine needing a license to create the rockets and stuff to get up there in the first place, but once you're up there won't gravity bring you down? Isn't that the law??

    1. Re:What? by khallow · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Heh, it also turns out that the US is directly liable for anything put up there by US businesses. And SpaceX will have to pass through the lower atmosphere (which is why the FAA reentry license is required).

  2. We need something better by dmomo · · Score: 4, Funny

    Like a green card system. If you outlaw "landing on Earth", only outlaws will land on Earth. That is very scary. I recommend a legal path to citizenship for our visitors.

  3. Re:A license? by tepples · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So if they didn't get this license, does that mean it would never return to Earth?

    No, it means it wouldn't leave the launch pad.

    It's hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that any governmental organization can tell us how and when we can visit the stars.

    Your government doesn't want to start an international incident when your flight plan knocks another government's communication satellite out of orbit.

  4. Re:A license? by LWATCDR · · Score: 3, Informative

    Yes and if you destroy someones ship in international waters it is also covered by treaty and international law just like space...
    But this rocket is going to transit US air space to get into orbit, it is also owned by a US company, it is launching from the US, it is using the US eastern test range, it is flying under a US government contract, and I believe will land in US. The US has the right and frankly the obligation to certify that this flight will not be an epic mess up.
    So yea the FAA is going to deal with this.

    --
    See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
  5. It's needed. by Animats · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Bear in mind that a spacecraft launch and an ICBM launch look very similar, and a re-entry looks like an incoming missile. It's best if everybody knows where and when to expect such events, so that various military forces don't overreact. Both the normal scenarios and the abort plans need to be reviewed.

  6. Presumably only over USA? correction? by fantomas · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Article summary states: "allowing the reentry to Earth of a privately developed spacecraft".

    Presumably the article summary should have read "allowing the reentry to the USA's airspace of a privately developed spacecraft"?

    I am guessing the FAA's jurisdiction only extends over USA territories rather than making a claim for global control over who lands on Earth? I am assuming the Russians and Chinese don't have to notify the FAA whenever they wish to land a spacecraft, nor would they expect a private craft launched and landed in their airspace to ask the FAA for permission?

  7. Re:A license? by thpr · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yeah, except... nobody owns space by international treaty anyway. So if a satellite malfunctions (or a space ship collides with one), legally it's like international waters.

    Articles VI and VII of The Treaty disagree.

    Which - for reference - is different from the law of the sea.