FAA Issues Request for Information on New Spaceports and Priority Airspace for Launches

The FAA issued a request for information on Aug. 21 on new spaceport locations and priority launch airspace, giving stakeholders 60 days to respond once published in the Federal Register.

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Industry impact

The move signals a federal push to expand U.S. launch infrastructure and airspace capacity, though funding mechanisms and target feasibility remain unresolved.

The Federal Aviation Administration released a request for information on Aug. 21 asking the public and industry for input on potential new spaceport locations and the designation of priority airspace for space launches, the Department of Transportation announced. The RFI covers two topics from an updated National Space Transportation Policy issued by the White House on Aug. 20, and stakeholders will have 60 days to respond once it is published in the Federal Register. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said hearing from industry, local communities, aviation stakeholders and the public will help identify viable spaceport locations and develop airspace routes supporting more frequent launches while maintaining safety and efficiency.

The new policy sets a goal of at least 1,000 launches and reentries from U.S. facilities by 2030, about five times current levels, while the Department of Transportation set a more ambitious target of 10,000 launches and reentries annually by 2035. Ryan McCormack, the department's undersecretary of policy, said reaching that goal requires modernizing the approach to spaceports. The department cited 217 FAA-licensed U.S. commercial launches out of 329 worldwide in 2025, though the FAA's own statistics record 199 commercial launches licensed by the agency that year, and the FAA Aerospace Forecast projected between 276 and 498 commercial space operations in fiscal year 2035, with no more than 4,288 operations total across fiscal years 2026 through 2036.

The RFI asks stakeholders to identify key criteria for spaceport locations, including island spaceports and facilities outside U.S. territory, seeks explanations for why many currently licensed spaceports are underutilized, and requests input on previously abandoned proposals such as Spaceport Camden in Georgia. It also seeks information on "critical space launch corridors," a term the FAA acknowledged it does not currently use in airspace management. The FAA acknowledged that funding will be a critical aspect of spaceport development and pointed to public-private partnerships as a potential tool. The Aerospace Industries Association, the Computer and Communications Industry Association's Space and Spectrum Policy Center, and the Satellite Industry Association all issued statements supporting the policy's aims.