Short Takes – 10-3-26 - Space Geek Edition

The DOT’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published five commercial space launch notices of proposed rulemaking in Monday’s Federal Register (available online today). They include:  

• 91 FR 63180; Docket No.: FAA-2026-9935 – Digital Modernization for Licensing Electronic Application Submissions – Summary: “FAA proposes to amend its commercial space launch and reentry licensing regulations to allow for submission of license and permit applications and requests for waivers, alternative time frames, and safety element approvals through additional electronic methods.” 
• 91 FR 63199; Docket No.: FAA-2026-9940 – Lightning Hazard Mitigation Burden-Reducing Exception – Summary “FAA proposes to amend its commercial space launch and reentry licensing regulations to streamline the licensing process and reduce regulatory burden for license applicants. Specifically, FAA proposes to add an exception for compliance with lightning hazard mitigation requirements for certain licensed launch and reentry operations.” 
• 91 FR 63204; Docket No.: FAA-2026-9941 – Overpressure Blast Effects Analysis Burden Reducing Clarification – Summary “FAA proposes to amend its commercial space launch and reentry licensing regulations to streamline the licensing process and reduce regulatory burden for license applicants. Specifically, FAA proposes to amend the regulations to state that a far-field overpressure blast effects analysis required for license applicants does not need to account for members of the public in hypothetical locations.” 
• 91 FR 63185; Docket No.: FAA-2026-9934 – Simplifying Physical Containment Requirements – Summary: “FAA proposes to amend its commercial space launch and reentry licensing regulations to streamline the licensing process and reduce regulatory burden on operators. Specifically, FAA proposes to relieve the burden by specifying that, when using physical containment as a hazard control strategy, operators do not need to develop flight hazard areas in accordance with FAA's existing flight hazard area analysis requirements.” 
• 91 FR 63190; Docket No.: FAA-2026-9936 – Streamlining Flight Safety Analysis Methodology Means of Compliance – Summary: “FAA proposes to amend its commercial space launch and reentry licensing regulations to streamline the licensing process. Specifically, FAA proposes to alleviate regulatory burden for license applicants by consolidating information required for an operator's flight safety analysis.” 

Each of these rulemakings would be considered to be ‘deregulatory actions’ under EO 14192. 

The FAA is soliciting comments on each of these NPRMs. Comments may be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal (www.Regulations.gov; using the listed docket number). Comments should be submitted by November 4th, 2026.