{"abstract":"The FAA licenses launches of expendable and reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), including suborbital rockets, under regulations found in 14 CFR Ch. III, parts 400-450. The FAA is issuing this Notice to clarify the applicability of FAA licensing requirements to suborbital rocket launches, in general, and suborbital RLVs, in particular so that a vehicle operator can determine, in advance of consultation with the FAA, whether it must obtain a launch license. Some suborbital RLVs currently under development use traditional aviation technology and components, including wings, for lift and glide capability, as well as rocket propulsion for thrust to maintain their trajectory. These vehicles may be termed \"hybrid\" in nature, because a single vehicle system uses aviation and aerospace technology during different portions of flight. This Notice advises an operator of a hybrid suborbital RLV that a proposed mission may require other FAA flight authorization, specifically an experimental airworthiness certificate (EAC), as a condition of a launch license, to operate in the National Airspace System (NAS).","action":"Notice and request for comments.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION","name":"Transportation Department","id":492,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/transportation-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/492","parent_id":null,"slug":"transportation-department"},{"raw_name":"Federal Aviation Administration","name":"Federal Aviation Administration","id":159,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/federal-aviation-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/159","parent_id":492,"slug":"federal-aviation-administration"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2003/10/20/03-26373.html","cfr_references":[],"citation":"68 FR 59977","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":null,"disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":[],"dockets":[],"document_number":"03-26373","effective_on":null,"end_page":59980,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"explanation":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2003/10/20/03-26373.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2003/10/20/03-26373/commercial-space-transportation-suborbital-rocket-launch","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/03-26373?publication_date=2003-10-20","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2003-10-20/03-26373/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":4,"page_views":{"count":143,"last_updated":"2026-04-04 16:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2003-10-20/pdf/03-26373.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":null,"publication_date":"2003-10-20","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2003/10/20/03-26373.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{},"regulation_id_numbers":[],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":null,"signing_date":null,"start_page":59977,"subtype":null,"title":"Commercial Space Transportation; Suborbital Rocket Launch","toc_doc":"Reusable and suborbital rocket launch vehicles","toc_subject":"Commercial space transportation:","topics":[],"type":"Notice","volume":68}