The federal government shutdown, entering its 38th day, led the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a temporary emergency directive on Thursday that forbids commercial rocket launches during “peak hours” of air traffic.
The FAA also instructed commercial airlines to decrease domestic flights from 40 “high impact airports” nationwide in a phased manner starting Friday. The agency indicated that the order from the FAA’s administrator, Bryan Bedford, is designed to tackle “safety risks and delays arising from air traffic controller staffing limitations caused by the ongoing budget impasse.”
The government views air traffic controllers as essential personnel, hence they continue to work without compensation until Congress passes a federal budget and President Donald Trump enacts it into law. The repercussions of the shutdown, initially most severe for federal employees, are now spreading throughout the wider economy.
Sharing the airspace
Vehicles traveling to and from space coexist in the skies with aircraft, necessitating close collaboration with air traffic controllers to clear airspace for rocket launches and reentries. The FAA stated that its directive limiting commercial air traffic, launches, and reentries is aimed at “ensuring the safety of aircraft and the efficiency of the [National Airspace System].”
In a statement clarifying the order, the FAA declared that the air traffic control system is “stressed” due to the shutdown.
“With ongoing delays and unpredictable staffing shortages, which are contributing to fatigue, risk is further escalating, and the FAA is apprehensive about the system’s capability to maintain the existing operation levels,” the regulator stated. “Thus, the FAA has concluded that additional mitigation is essential.”
Starting Monday, the FAA announced that commercial space launches will only be authorized between 10 pm and 6 am local time, when the national airspace is typically more serene. The order also confines commercial reentries to this overnight period. The FAA oversees all commercial launches and reentries.
