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 forceOffice of the Law Revision Counsel text of 51 U.S.C. 50904 (current edition).
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
1 sourcesThe 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.