FAA Kills Rule Aimed at Regulating Space Junk
9 hours ago
- #public safety
- #FAA regulations
- #space debris
- The Trump administration is backing off a rule aimed at stopping commercial space companies from leaving rocket bodies in Earth’s orbit.
- The FAA initially proposed the measure in 2023 to curb space debris, requiring companies to remove spacecraft within 25 years of launch.
- SpaceX and other companies criticized the proposal, leading the FAA to withdraw the rule for further research.
- Critics argue the withdrawal endangers public safety, with a 20-29% chance of debris killing someone in the next decade.
- Space debris incidents include a boy in China injured by debris and a woman hit in Oklahoma.
- SpaceX and United Launch Alliance have left 41 upper stage rockets in orbit, with 33 still there.
- SpaceX claims efforts to reduce debris, with fewer upper stages left in orbit in 2025 compared to 2024.
- The FAA’s proposed rule would have required debris removal plans and applied to pieces larger than 5mm.
- Experts warn of Kessler syndrome, where debris collisions create a chain reaction, making orbits unnavigable.
- SpaceX’s Starlink satellites performed 300,000 maneuvers in 2023 to avoid collisions with space debris.