Reflect Orbital’s Space Mirror: The FCC Licensed the Radio, Not the Sunlight
Reflect Orbital's Earendil-1 licence was reissued on 9 October. Why the FCC says the mirror itself is beyond its reach, and what…
Topic
NEPA
From 25 to 456 Launches a Year: The FAA Opens Its Biggest Starship Environmental Review Yet
The FAA's Starship environmental review at Starbase will test up to 456 launches a year. What the October 2026 notices cover, the…
The FAA’s Five Part 450 Proposals: Small Fixes, a 4 November Deadline and a Bigger Fight Behind Them
The FAA's five Part 450 proposals of 5 October 2026 explained: what changes for launch licence applicants, who benefits, and the 4…
Explainers14 min read
14 min
Space Law Cases: The Disputes That Shaped the Field
Space law has little case law of its own, so most of the rules operators rely on were made in ordinary courts. From Cosmos 954 and…
Case Notes6 min read
6 min
Dark-Sky Association v FCC: Standing, Starlink and the Categorical Exclusion
An astronomy body got through the courthouse door where a competitor could not, then lost anyway. Read with Viasat, the two decisions make constellation environmental challenges…