WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration is moving ahead immediately to implement elements of a new space transportation policy, seeking information about new spaceports and access to airspace.
The Department of Transportation, which includes the FAA, announced Aug. 21 that it is releasing a request for information regarding locations of new spaceports and designation of “priority airspace” for space launch activities. The RFI will give industry and other stakeholders 60 days to respond once it is published in the Federal Register.
Both topics were mentioned in the updated National Space Transportation Policy released by the White House on Aug. 20. It directed several agencies, including the Department of Transportation, to identify “potential locations for additional launch facilities” and designate “priority airspace for critical space launch corridors.”
The RFI is part of the process of implementing those plans. “By hearing from industry, local communities, aviation stakeholders and the broader public, we can better identify viable spaceport locations and develop airspace routes that support more frequent launches while maintaining the highest standards of safety and efficiency,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement.
A key theme of the new policy is developing spaceports and related infrastructure needed for much higher launch rates. The policy set a goal of having at least 1,000 launches from and reentries to U.S. facilities by 2030, roughly a fivefold increase from current levels.
The Department of Transportation has even greater aspirations. “To reach 10,000 launches and reentries annually by 2035, we must modernize our approach to spaceports,” said Ryan McCormack, undersecretary of policy in the department, in the statement.
The department reiterated that number elsewhere in the statement. “The U.S. was responsible for 217 of the 329 commercial space launches worldwide in 2025, and we expect to see that number soar to 10,000 FAA-licensed launches and reentries a year by 2035,” it noted.
The 329 number in the statement appears to be a reference to all launches worldwide in 2025, rather than just commercial launches. According to the FAA’s own statistics, it licensed 199 commercial launches in 2025, not 217.
Neither the FAA nor the Department of Transportation has previously discussed a goal of 10,000 launches and reentries by 2035. In the FAA Aerospace Forecast report published earlier this year, the FAA projected between 276 and 498 commercial space operations — launches and reentries — in fiscal year 2035. The entire forecast, covering fiscal years 2026 through 2036, anticipates no more than 4,288 operations during that 11-year span, less than half the goal set by the department for 2035 alone.
The RFI asks stakeholders for information on key criteria for spaceport locations, including issues for “island spaceports” and those not located in the United States. It also seeks information about why many currently licensed spaceports are underutilized, as well as input on earlier proposed spaceports that have since been abandoned, such as Spaceport Camden in Georgia.
Regarding airspace, the RFI seeks input on various aspects of “critical space launch corridors,” a term not explicitly defined in the document and one the FAA acknowledges it does not currently use in airspace management.
Industry reaction
The announcement of the planned RFI came as industry groups largely endorsed the new space transportation policy.
“This memorandum recognizes the importance of modernizing infrastructure, harnessing in-space logistics and driving strong domestic supply chains to ensure American industry remains the global gold standard,” said Eric Fanning, chief executive of the Aerospace Industries Association, in an Aug. 21 statement.
“Expanding commercial and military satellite capabilities requires coordinated federal action to address the growing launch capacity needs, modernize domestic spaceports, simplify launch reviews and integrate space traffic management,” said Karina Perez, director of the Computer and Communications Industry Association’s Space and Spectrum Policy Center.
“America’s satellite industry depends on reliable and resilient access to space, and this policy recognizes that access to space is a national economic and security priority,” said Tom Stroup, president of the Satellite Industry Association.
However, some industry officials said privately that while they endorse the overall aims of the policy, they noted there was nothing in the policy about how to pay for it. Modernizing existing spaceports or developing new ones could cost billions of dollars, depending on the scope of those efforts.
“A critical aspect of spaceport development will be funding,” the FAA acknowledged in the RFI, which noted the department’s promotion of public-private partnerships for a variety of infrastructure projects. “Public-private partnerships could be a valuable and innovative tool for structuring spaceport development in particular.”