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The Quest for a One-Stop Shop to Regulate US Space Travel

  • Congress extends FAA regulations moratorium by three months
  • US spaceflight industry grappling with segmented oversight
A rocket launches from Space Launch Complex 41 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.Photographer: Joel Kowsky/NASA/Getty Images

A last-minute congressional deal to keep the US government open through Nov. 17 also extends a reprieve for commercial spaceflight companies hoping to avoid federally imposed safety regulations.

The nearly 20-year moratorium preventing the US Federal Aviation Administration from regulating commercial human spaceflight for safety was set to come to an end on Oct. 1. However, Congress extended the ban three months in its stopgap measure to fund the federal government.

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The Quest for a One-Stop Shop to Regulate US Space Travel