Additionally, the FAA reorganized its Office of Commercial Space to meet the burgeoning private sector licensing demand and established the Office of Spaceports. The agency is also continuing to test and deploy new technologies to further enable the safe and efficient integration of commercial space operations with other types of air traffic in the National Airspace System.

An FAA license is required to conduct any commercial launch or reentry, the operation of any launch or reentry site by U.S. citizens anywhere in the world, or by any individual or entity within the United States.

Since 1989, the FAA has licensed or permitted more than 450 commercial space launches and reentries. During that time there have been no fatalities, serious injuries or significant property damage to members of the public.