FAA proposes rule to limit lifetime of upper stages in orbit

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FAA proposes rule to limit lifetime of upper stages in orbit

Quote

The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed new regulations that would require commercial launch providers to dispose of upper stages from their launches to mitigate the growth of orbital debris.

The FAA released the draft rule Sept. 20, which will be formally published in the Federal Register in the coming days. That publication will start a 90-day public comment period.

The rule would require companies with FAA commercial launch licenses to choose from one of five approaches for removing upper stages from congested orbits on future launches, ranging from placing them into graveyard orbits to contracting with a third party to handle the disposal.

Read More: SpaceNews

 

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The private sector will figure out a cost-effective means to handle this problem.  Excellent ideas.