FAA now requires reentry vehicles to get licensed before launch
The US Federal Aviation Administration is updating its launch license requirements: if you're launching something designed for reentry, you'll need a license for that, too. Before you launch.
It appears to be a response to last year's situation, where Varda Space Industries launched its W-1 mission without a license to bring the capsule back to US soil.
The notice, applicable from April 17, 2024, requires that if a payload is a reentry vehicle, then it must have re-entry authorization before launch will be authorized.
The FAA's concerns regarding launching without re-entry authorization stem from public safety and an acknowledgment that the reentry vehicle will eventually return to Earth once launched. Its mission might be constrained by propellant, component failure, or some other factor, but unless its orbit can be raised high enough for it not to be a concern, it will inevitably re-enter at some point.
Last year, Varda's W-1, based on a Rocket Lab Photon satellite bus, was launched into orbit. While the FAA gave permission for the launch, it did not give authorization for the capsule to return to the US.
