Notice2025-17922
Advisory Circular No. 450.169-1A, Launch and Reentry Collision Avoidance Analysis
Primary source
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Published
September 17, 2025
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is solicitating public comment on its intentions to revise an existing Advisory Circular (AC) that provides guidance to launch and reentry vehicle operators on how to complete launch and reentry collision avoidance analyses for the purpose of vehicle operator license applications. Specifically, the proposed revisions would clarify that, for certain commercial launch and reentry operations supporting National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) missions, collision avoidance (COLA) analyses may be obtained from two NASA components. The current version of the AC only identifies the 19th Space Defense Squadron (SDS) as an FAA-approved COLA provider.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 178 (Wednesday, September 17, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 17, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44871-44872]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-17922]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
[Docket No.: FAA-2025-2928]
Advisory Circular No. 450.169-1A, Launch and Reentry Collision
Avoidance Analysis
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of availability, request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is solicitating
public comment on its intentions to revise an existing Advisory
Circular (AC) that provides guidance to launch and reentry vehicle
operators on how to complete launch and reentry collision avoidance
analyses for the purpose of vehicle operator license applications.
Specifically, the proposed revisions would clarify that, for certain
commercial launch and reentry operations supporting National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) missions, collision
avoidance (COLA) analyses may be obtained from two NASA components. The
current version of the AC only identifies the 19th Space Defense
Squadron (SDS) as an FAA-approved COLA provider.
DATES: Written comments must be received by October 17, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Please send comments identified with ``Launch and Reentry
Collision Avoidance Analysis,'' and [Enter docket number] to the email
address, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9da4b0fceee9b0fceee7afacadb0f9f4eff8fee9f4ebf8eeddfbfcfcb3faf2eb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7e47531f0d0a531f0d044c4f4e531a170c1b1d0a17081b0d3e181f1f50191108">[email protected]</span></a>.
FAA will consider all comments and recommendations received while
developing the final version of the AC. AST will also acknowledge
receipt of all comments and recommendations if contact information is
provided. The final version will be published on FAA website
(<a href="http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars">www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars</a>).
Privacy: The Department of Transportation's complete Privacy Act
Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on April 11,
2000 (65 FR 19477), as well as at <a href="http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov">DocketsInfo.dot.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Hatt, Space Policy Division
Manager, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, Federal Aviation
Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591-0001;
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#aee4cfc3cbdd80ef80e6cfdadaeec8cfcf80c9c1d8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="276d464a42540966096f4653536741464609404851">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984, as amended and codified at
51 U.S.C. 50901 through 50923 (``the Act''), authorizes DOT, and FAA
through delegation,\1\ to oversee, license, and regulate commercial
launch and reentry activities, and the operation of launch and reentry
sites as carried out by U.S. citizens or within the United States. The
Act's requirements are implemented in parts 400 through 460 of title 14
of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR).
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\1\ See 49 CFR 1.83(b).
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In accordance with the requirements set forth in Sec. 450.169(e),
launch and reentry vehicle operators are required to, among other
things, obtain for each launch or reentry a COLA analysis from a
Federal entity identified by the FAA, or another entity agreed to by
the Administrator.
On August 10, 2023, FAA published an AC, titled ``Launch and
Reentry Collision Avoidance Analysis'' (AC No.: 450.169-1), which
provides launch and reentry vehicle operators with guidance pertaining
to the COLA analysis requirements. Among other things, the AC specifies
that the 19th SDS could be used for the purpose of COLA processing.
FAA is now proposing the issuance of a revised AC (AC No. 450.169-
1A) to clarify that, for certain commercial launch and reentry
operations supporting NASA missions, COLA analyses may also be obtained
from two NASA components. Specifically, for the International Space
Station (ISS) and its supporting vehicles, COLA analyses may also be
obtained from the Trajectory Operations and Planning Officer (TOPO) at
Johnson Space Center, and for NASA robotic missions not involving human
space flight, COLA analyses may also be obtained from the Conjunction
Assessment Risk Analysis (CARA) program at the Goddard Space Flight
Center.
Comments Invited
FAA invites the public to submit comments on the draft AC, as
specified in the ADDRESSES section. Commenters should include the
subject line ``Launch and Reentry Collision Avoidance Analysis'' and
FAA-2025-2928 on all comments submitted to FAA. The most helpful
comments will reference a specific portion of the draft document,
explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting
data. Public comments submitted in accordance with the process set
forth in this Federal Register notice will be considered for the
purpose of the final version of this draft AC. However, even following
the release of the final version of this draft AC, members of the
public will continue to have the ability to submit feedback and
suggestions pertaining to the AC in accordance with the process
outlined in the AC.
You may examine the draft AC on the agency's public website and in
the docket as follows:
<bullet> At <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> in Docket [enter docket number].
<bullet> At the ``Commercial Space Draft Advisory Circulars (ACs)''
page of the agency's public website, which is located at <a href="https://www.faa.gov/space/legislationregulationguidance/draft_docs/ac">https://www.faa.gov/space/legislationregulationguidance/draft_docs/ac</a>.
[[Page 44872]]
Issued in Washington, DC.
James A. Hatt,
Manager, Space Policy Division, Office of Commercial Space
Transportation.
[FR Doc. 2025-17922 Filed 9-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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