National statuteUnited StatesIn force

U.S. Commercial Space Launch Activities (51 U.S.C. chapter 509) - payload review authority

U.S. launch and reentry licensing statute administered by the FAA. Section 50904(c) is the basis for FAA payload reviews of payloads that need no other federal license; it is the mechanism used for the 2016 Moon Express MX-1E determination.

Facts

Level: National statute
Scope: National
Country: United States
Citation: 51 U.S.C. 50901-50923 (chapter 509); pinpoint 51 U.S.C. 50904(c)
Status: In forceGovinfo's 2024 title 51 compilation credits 51 U.S.C. 50904 to Pub. L. 103-272, July 5, 1994, as 49 U.S.C. 70104, and to Pub. L. 111-314, Dec. 18, 2010, which renumbered it as 51 U.S.C. 50904. The historical note's dated cell on the 70104(a) row cites Oct. 30, 1984, Pub. L. 98-575, section 6(a), (b). Pub. L. 111-314, section 5(c), deems a title 51 provision enacted on the corresponding source provision's date for later-in-time purposes. These passages do not establish a single adoption or effective date for this record.

Resource provisions

A paraphrase followed by the source wording.

No resource provision. Allows the Secretary of Transportation (FAA) to review a payload that needs no other license and to prevent its launch on public safety, property, national security or foreign policy grounds; it does not authorize resource extraction or confer resource rights.

The Secretary of Transportation shall establish whether all required licenses, authorizations, and permits required for a payload have been obtained. If no license, authorization, or permit is required, the Secretary may prevent the launch or reentry if the Secretary decides the launch or reentry would jeopardize the public health and safety, safety of property, or national security or foreign policy interest of the United States. [1]

Authorizations that cite it

Country	Holder and mission	Instrument	Granted	Linked mission
United States	FAA-led interagency payload review: Moon Express MX-1E (2016)Holder: Moon Express, Inc.	Favorable payload determination	2016Granted	Moon Express MX-1E first lunar mission (Google Lunar XPRIZE attempt)Not flown (stalled)

Open evidence gaps

FAA implementing regulation for payload review in 2016 (14 C.F.R. part 415, since replaced by part 450) not retrieved.

Sources

5 sources

[1]51 U.S.C. 50904: Restrictions on launches, operations, and reentries
Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of RepresentativesLegislationAccessed 2026-09-25Supports: resource provisions, summaryarticle 51 U.S.C. 50904(c)
The Secretary of Transportation shall establish whether all required licenses, authorizations, and permits required for a payload have been obtained. If no license, authorization, or permit is required, the Secretary may prevent the launch or reentry if the Secretary decides the launch or reentry would jeopardize the public health and safety, safety of property, or national security or foreign policy interest of the United States.
Quote matched the source text when accessed.
[2]51 U.S.C. chapter 509 (2024 edition)
U.S. Government Publishing OfficeLegislationAccessed 2026-10-17Supports: status explanationsection Parenthetical credit immediately after 51 U.S.C. 50904(d) in the govinfo HTML text.
(Pub. L. 103–272, §1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1332, §70104 of title 49; Pub. L. 105–303, title I, §102(a)(5), Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2847; Pub. L. 108–492, §2(c)(3)–(5), Dec. 23, 2004, 118 Stat. 3976; renumbered §70104 then §50904 of title 51 and amended Pub. L. 111–314, §4(d)(2), (3)(D), (5)(C)–(E), Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3440, 3441; Pub. L. 114–90, title I, §112(k), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 713.)
Quote matched the source text when accessed.
[3]51 U.S.C. chapter 509 (2024 edition)
U.S. Government Publishing OfficeLegislationAccessed 2026-10-17Supports: status explanationsection One p.note-body under the chapter analysis Amendments heading, the 2010 paragraph.
2010—Pub. L. 111–314, §4(d)(2), (3), Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3440, transferred analysis for chapter 701 of Title 49, Transportation, and renumbered as analysis for chapter 509 of this title and renumbered items 70101 to 70105, 70105a, 70106 to 70109, 70109a, and 70110 to 70121 as 50901 to 50923, respectively.
Quote matched the source text when accessed.
[4]51 U.S.C. chapter 509 (2024 edition)
U.S. Government Publishing OfficeLegislationAccessed 2026-10-17Supports: status explanationsection Statutes-at-large cell on the historical-note row for revised subsection 70104(a). The following 70104(c) row was not given this date by that cell.
Oct. 30, 1984, Pub. L. 98–575, §6(a), (b), 98 Stat. 3057.
Quote matched the source text when accessed.
[5]Public Law 111-314
U.S. Government Publishing OfficeLegislationPublished 2010-12-18Accessed 2026-10-17Supports: status explanationsection Public Law 111-314 section 5(c), preformatted lines kept with their official line wraps. Not joined into one manufactured line.
(c) Original Date of Enactment Unchanged.--For purposes of determining whether one provision of law supersedes another based on enactment later in time, a title 51 provision is deemed to have been enacted on the date of enactment of the corresponding source provision.
Quote matched the source text when accessed.

Cite this record

SpaceMiningData, “U.S. Commercial Space Launch Activities (51 U.S.C. chapter 509) - payload review authority”, dataset version a00fa2c68a45, built 2026-11-11, https://spaceminingdata.com/laws/us-commercial-space-launch-act-chapter-509.html. Record checked 2026-09-25.