Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration
To limit the growth of orbital debris, the FAA proposes to require that upper stages of commercial launch vehicles and other components resulting from launch or reentry be removed from orbit within 25 years after launch, either through atmospheric disposal or maneuver to an acceptable disposal orbit. Any artificial object left in orbit around the Earth which no longer serves a useful purpose can become a debris hazard in space. Orbital debris is all such human- generated debris in Earth orbit that is greater than 5 millimeters (mm) in any dimension. Collisions between and with orbital debris are a growing concern because prior to the establishment of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) practices allowed these objects to accumulate in Earth orbit. Additionally, an increasing number of launch operators are launching assets into space at greater rates. If left unchecked, this accumulation can clutter useful orbits and present a hazard to operations on-orbit. This proposed rule would reduce the amount of additional debris created, as well as limit potential collisions with functional spacecraft and other debris already on-orbit.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Parts 401, 404, 415, 417, 431, 435, 437, 450, and 453 [Docket No.: FAA-2023-1858; Notice No. 23-13] RIN 2120-AK81 AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: To limit the growth of orbital debris, the FAA proposes to require that upper stages of commercial launch vehicles and other components resulting from launch or reentry be removed from orbit within 25 years after launch, either through atmospheric disposal or maneuver to an acceptable disposal orbit. Any artificial object left in orbit around the Earth which no longer serves a useful purpose can become a debris hazard in space. Orbital debris is all such human-generated debris in Earth orbit that is greater than 5 millimeters (mm) in any dimension. Collisions between and with orbital debris are a growing concern because prior to the establishment of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) practices allowed these objects to accumulate in Earth orbit. Additionally, an increasing number of launch operators are launching assets into space at greater rates. If left unchecked, this accumulation can clutter useful orbits and present a hazard to operations on-orbit. This proposed rule would reduce the amount of additional debris created, as well as limit potential collisions with functional spacecraft and other debris already on-orbit. DATES: Send co…
Other Federal Register documents from the same docket.
Citation: 88 FR 65835
