What happens if you design your spacecraft to survive atmospheric reentry, but it doesn’t get the green light from regulators to launch? As we saw in the example of Varda Space Industries, which launched into orbit, you may need to: park in orbit Until Federal Aviation Administration paperwork is completed.
in New April 17th Notice The FAA appears to be effective immediately. show It tries to avoid repeating the Varda story, and it succeeds. landed a capsule in Utah It returned in February after a delay of about seven months. The company aimed to grow ritonavir crystals in space, an environment that could improve the effectiveness of HIV antiviral drugs.
Varda Space Industries’ spacecraft W-1 successfully landed at the Utah Test and Training Range on February 21, 2024. This is the first time a private company has landed a spacecraft on U.S. soil. Credit: Varda Space Industries.
The agency did not directly address the incident, but said it would not allow the launch of “reentry vehicles” without return clearance. In other words, if a company plans to return a vehicle, it can’t send it into space in the first place unless the FAA determines in advance that a reentry plan is safe. The agency said it analyzes the potential impact of vehicles on public health, property and national security before issuing re-entry permits.
Without prior approval, the FAA argues, critical systems could fail or lose propellant or power before regulators and reentry operators can take action. .of agency says It will review numerous details self-disclosed by reentry operators, including the weight of the payload, the amount of hazardous materials present, the “explosive potential of the payload material,” and the proposed reentry location.
Varda emphasized earlier this month We received launch approval last year and have confirmed that we have complied with all regulatory requirements to do so.in a statement to space newsFAA Deputy Administrator Kelvin Coleman said the agency learned “some lessons” by approving the launch without a re-entry permit.
The FAA said in the notice that as spaceflight evolves, returnable vehicles will need to take special precautions to reduce collisions with people and objects on the ground. “Unlike typical payloads designed to operate in space, atmospheric reentry vehicles have key components designed to survive reentry nearly intact, allowing them to withstand impact to the ground. “is virtually guaranteed,” the FAA said.
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