FAA Stories January 8
For over a year, SpaceX has been developing its next-generation rocket Starship near the small neighborhood of Boca Chica Village in Texas near the Mexican border. It wasn’t until June of last year that the Federal Aviation Administration which licenses airspace started an environmental assessment of the rapid expansion of SpaceX facilities there.
FAA Stories January 6
Supersonic flight is set to make a comeback and go further than ever before in this decade. Today the Federal Aviation Administration published new guidance to support this effort by clarifying existing policy and potentially streamlining the regulatory side of supersonic testing.
The Department of Transportation currently does not authorize supersonic flight by default. This means developing and testing technology like Boom’s XB-1 supersonic jet will require special authorization from the DOT and FAA to fly over Mach 1 speeds.
FAA Stories December 23, 2020
The technology used by airports to communicate with aircraft appears to be relatively advanced, but this is the opposite of the truth upon closer inspection. Outdated technology that relies heavily on voice communications is what you actually see, and that creates problems.
FAA Stories December 16, 2020
Biden picks Pete Buttigieg to run agency that oversees commercial space launches
Former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is President-Elect Joe Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Transportation. If confirmed by the Senate, Buttigieg would oversee the Depart of Transportation which includes the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA is responsible for licensing commercial space launches.
FAA Stories December 15, 2020
The year 2020 has been record breaking for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), with 35 licensed commercial space launches. Of course, there will also likely be even more launches achieved before year’s end, probably bringing the number close to 40.
