DOT launches SPACE task force as annual launches forecast at 10,000

The Department of Transportation has set up the Space Policy Administration, Coordination, and Execution (SPACE) Task Force to bring federal commercial space activities in line with expected growth. FAA-licensed launches and reentries could hit 10,000 per year by 2035, the department said.

Under Secretary of Transportation Ryan McCormack chairs the task force, which includes the FAA and other DOT offices. It supports the administration's space policy on expanded launch infrastructure, revised commercial space regulation, and closer integration between space operations and the aviation system.

DOT has 180 days to present a plan for weaving launch and reentry management into air traffic control modernization. The department will also designate priority airspace for critical launch corridors. The White House set an interim goal of more than 1,000 annual launches and reentries by 2030.

Last month DOT began seeking industry and public input on possible new spaceport locations and launch routes. Currently 83% of launches originate from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Kennedy Space Center, or Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The FAA now establishes aircraft hazard areas during launches and reentries, restricting uninvolved aircraft. The agency is working on procedures and technology, including near-real-time tracking, to shrink the size and duration of those restrictions as launch frequency rises.