US proposes space launch rule changes in potential boost for SpaceX

The US Federal Aviation Administration proposed on Thursday streamlining regulations for commercial space launches and re-entries and said it plans to overhaul its space licensing framework next year, a potential boost for Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ space firm Blue Origin.

The FAA said it was proposing changes to definitions of when a flight abort is not mandatory and to clarify requirements and thresholds for when an abort – the early end of a launch or mission because of a problem – must occur. The FAA is proposing to revise rules for spacecraft breaking up as they fall to Earth and how space companies calculate the risks of falling space debris from those vehicles hitting people on the ground.