FAA Restricts Rocket Launches to Night Hours Amid Shutdown

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has implemented a temporary emergency order restricting commercial rocket launches to nighttime hours due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, which has now reached its 38th day. This new regulation, announced on October 12, 2023, is aimed at mitigating safety risks and delays caused by air traffic controller staffing constraints, which have intensified as the shutdown continues.

According to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, the agency’s directive also includes a phased reduction in domestic flights from 40 high-impact airports across the country, effective immediately. The FAA noted that air traffic controllers are classified as essential workers and are currently working without pay until Congress finalizes a federal budget.

The FAA’s order is particularly significant for commercial space operations. Vehicles traveling to and from space share airspace with commercial flights, necessitating coordinated efforts with air traffic controllers to ensure safe launches and reentries. The FAA emphasized that the air traffic control system is “stressed” due to the shutdown, stating that unpredictable staffing shortages are increasing risks and diminishing the system’s operational capacity.

As of Monday, October 16, 2023, commercial rocket launches will only be permitted between 10 PM and 6 AM local time, when air traffic is at its lowest. This restriction also applies to commercial reentries. The FAA is responsible for licensing all commercial launches and reentries, and the timing of these operations is often dictated by mission-specific requirements.

For instance, SpaceX, the most active US launch company, frequently deploys its own Starlink satellites. The company may adapt its launch schedules to target orbital planes accessible during nighttime hours. However, some missions have fixed launch windows that cannot be easily altered. The upcoming launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, scheduled for October 15, 2023, at 14:45 EST (19:45 UTC), will deploy two NASA satellites bound for Mars. This mission requires an afternoon launch due to trajectory constraints, and it remains unclear whether NASA can seek a waiver to bypass the FAA’s new restrictions if the launch is delayed.

Similarly, SpaceX has a planned launch for October 17, 2023, intended to deliver a number of small satellites into a specific Sun-synchronous orbit. The timing of this launch is also critical, as it must occur in the late morning local time from Vandenberg Space Force Station in California.

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) faced complications with a planned launch of a significant communications satellite for Viasat, which has encountered a hardware issue. This launch was initially set for shortly after 22:00 local time in Florida, but delays may push it into the restricted nighttime window.

While some upcoming missions are likely to fall under the new FAA order, others may remain unaffected. For example, a launch of a US-European oceanography satellite later this month on a Falcon 9 rocket does not require FAA licensing, as NASA is responsible for its authorization. Additionally, launches conducted by the US Space Force are similarly exempt.

The ongoing government shutdown is also impacting NASA’s operations. Ground crews at Kennedy Space Center in Florida are working to prepare for the Artemis II mission, scheduled for early next year. However, both civil servants and contractors are currently working without pay, raising concerns about potential delays to the Artemis II schedule, which aims to send astronauts to the Moon’s vicinity for the first time in over 50 years.

As negotiations in Washington, DC, continue with no resolution in sight, the shutdown has already set a record as the longest in US history. Lawmakers are debating various issues, including the extension of tax credits and funding for Medicaid, but the impasse leaves many uncertainties about when the government will reopen and how it will impact critical operations across multiple sectors, including aerospace and public safety.