Commercial Space Transportation Licensing Regulations

All entities wishing to obtain a license to conduct commercial space launch activities are mandated to report information to this collection. The information collected is used by AST to determine and verify the ability and competency of a launch license applicant to conduct a commercial space launch operation in a safe and efficient manner. Information is collected before and after the issuance of either a launch-specific license or a launch operator license. An applicant's license proposal is assessed in terms of significant policy issues affecting the national security, foreign policy interests, or international obligations of the United States. Information collected allows AST to make a preliminary assessment of a launch proposal prior to beginning general licensing application procedures. After favorable review by AST of an applicant’s proposal in terms of policy implications, the applicant must demonstrate that it can safely launch its vehicle with payload. To achieve this end, AST’s safety evaluation process requires an applicant to submit information, including a safety program plan, a launch safety design and operations document, and an accident investigation plan. Further, in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policies Act, 42 U.S.C. § 4321, et. seq., (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA, 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508, and the DOT's Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts, (that is, DOT Order 5610.1C), applicants are required to submit environmental information to AST. This includes information concerning proposed new launch sites and launch vehicles not currently described in the environmental impact statements, as well as payloads that may have significant environmental impacts in the event of a launch accident. A licensee must satisfy pre-launch reporting requirements by providing launch specific information, including flight path data, payload design criteria, and mission specific launch waivers from federal sites or launch sites, not later than 60 days prior to the scheduled launch date. Each licensee is also required to register the name and mission of the payload with AST in accordance with Article IV of the 1975 Convention on Registration of Objects Launched Into Outer Space Treaty.

The latest form for Commercial Space Transportation Licensing Regulations expires 2021-09-30 and can be found here.

Commercial Space Transportation Licensing Regulations Initial Applications

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Transportation - Space Operations

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