Key Administrative and Legal Issues Concerning Suborbital Flights in the Domestic Law of the United States

This Chapter examines the national administrative regulations of suborbital aviation adopted in the United States, especially regarding the use of airspace and other aspects of the sector’s regulatory environment, such as the rules for ensuring the safety of maritime areas adjacent to launch sites. Given the long regulatory heritage in this jurisdiction, as well as the high degree of development of the U.S. space transport sector, the relevant national regulatory regime for suborbital aviation could serve as a reference point and a potential model for existing and future national or regional regulations, such as those at the European Union level.