Data / Federal rules / 2026-00680
Mitigation Methods for Launch Vehicle Upper Stages on the Creation of Orbital Debris; Withdrawal
The Federal Aviation Administration published this proposed rule in the Federal Register on January 15, 2026. It took effect on January 15, 2026.
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What the agency says
This document informs the public that FAA has determined not to pursue the previously published NPRM, which proposed to require that upper stages of commercial launch vehicles and other components resulting from launch or reentry be removed from orbit within 25 years after launch, either through atmospheric disposal or maneuver to an acceptable disposal orbit. FAA is withdrawing this action to further consider comments received.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2026-00680
- Type
- Proposed rule
- Action
- Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM); withdrawal
- Agency
- Transportation Department; Federal Aviation Administration
- Published
- January 15, 2026
- Takes effect
- January 15, 2026
- Dates
- The NPRM published on September 26, 2023, at 88 FR 65835 is withdrawn, effective January 15, 2026.
- Docket
- Docket No.: FAA-2023-1858; Notice No. 23-13
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 2120-AK81
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 14 CFR 401; 14 CFR 404; 14 CFR 415; 14 CFR 417; 14 CFR 431; 14 CFR 435; 14 CFR 437; 14 CFR 450; 14 CFR 453
- Significant
- Yes, under Executive Order 12866
- Pages
- 1
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Everything from the Federal Aviation Administration · Published in January 2026
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.