The US Federal Aviation Administration has removed a rolling limit on the number of aircraft allowed to cross the outer risk zones around rocket launches and re-entries. The change, effective under revised FAA Order 1030.8 from 15 September 2026, permits more commercial flights to use affected airspace as launch activity increases, while the most hazardous zone remains closed to aircraft.
The previous limit restricted crossings of the outer risk contours to 6,412 aircraft movements in any 12-month period. It was designed to provide 95% confidence that no fatal accident caused by launch or re-entry debris would occur over 80 years. Actual traffic had reached about 30% of that ceiling, but the FAA concluded that the limit was no longer appropriate as commercial space operations expand.
A decision by the FAA Executive Safety Council on 8 June removed the cap for the 1 × 10^-7 and 1 × 10^-8 risk contours. Aircraft remain prohibited from entering the innermost 1 × 10^-6 contour, where the assumed debris risk is highest. The revised approach will be phased in over 12 months.
The FAA will continue tracking aircraft exposures in the outer zones and is developing more precise debris-risk calculations and procedures to reopen restricted airspace faster. The policy change is intended to manage growing pressure on US air routes from the rising frequency of commercial launches and re-entries without removing the existing exclusion for the most dangerous airspace.