Capt. Joe DePete, ALPA's president, second from right, participates on the Upcoming Processes and Procedures of Regulatory Reform and Airspace Integration within Commercial Space panel.

During the 24th annual FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference held in Washington, D.C., Capt. Joe DePete, ALPA’s president, was a key participant on an airspace integration panel, sharing ALPA’s perspective on the need for the safe integration of commercial spaceflight operations within the national airspace system (NAS).

Hosted by the FAA and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, the annual two-day conference held on February 17–18 consisted of keynote addresses and panels that discussed the latest happenings in commercial space transportation and new and emerging entrants into the NAS.

On the airspace integration panel, titled “Upcoming Processes and Procedures of Regulatory Reform and Airspace Integration within Commercial Space,” DePete joined moderator Lt. Gen. Dave Buck, president of BRPH Mission Solutions, Inc., and fellow panelists Duane Freer, the FAA’s manager of space operations, and Kevin Hatton, chief operations officer for Launch On Demand, to discuss how to successfully integrate commercial space operations safely into the NAS. DePete highlighted the Association’s efforts to bring the commercial space and aviation communities together, past work accomplished with the FAA and commercial space community, and the necessary technology and policy needed to build a comprehensive NAS space-integration strategy.

“Since the beginning of spaceflight, ALPA pilots have recognized our responsibility to share the lessons pilots have learned in aviation and make certain that the United States continues to put safety first in the national airspace—a critical component of U.S. transportation infrastructure,” DePete noted. “Our involvement began with our participation on safety risk-management panels to analyze risk and mitigations to accommodate commercial space operations within the NAS and has continued with our participation in commercial space Aviation Rulemaking Committees [ARC] such as the Airspace Access Priorities ARC.”

DePete also renewed the Association’s call for the FAA to set up a broad advisory structure for new airspace entrants: “The FAA can enhance collaboration without additional funding or authorization by creating an advisory structure that brings together commercial space, drone, and aviation operators, which all use the airspace but currently provide input separately. ALPA is bringing the commercial space and aviation communities together in advising the FAA as well as in building a comprehensive national space-integration strategy.” He emphasized that a national strategy will enable all airspace users to create a shared mental model for the future and noted that commercial space and aviation can succeed in integrating use of the shared NAS while maintaining or enhancing its current level of safety.

DePete also reminded attendees of the numerous ways airline operations are affected by commercial space transportation, including aircraft being forced to fly around segregated airspace or wait until it reopens, as well as concerns over uncontrolled space debris reentry.

In response to a question regarding the U.S. Department of Commerce taking responsibility for space traffic management and whether it should be more involved with the FAA regarding scheduling and other aspects of commercial space operations, DePete acknowledged, “The FAA is the safety regulator for the NAS, and the Department of Commerce assignment to space traffic management appears to fall above the NAS, and so there doesn’t appear to be a conflict of responsibility.

“That said, ALPA has expressed concerns about the reentry of large pieces of space debris,” he continued. “In a letter to the International Civil Aviation Organization, I asked the secretary general to ensure that there is adequate guidance to all countries regarding how to make certain that information about space debris reentry events is broadly communicated to ensure the safety of passengers and crews that may be in harm’s way from falling space debris.”

DePete added, “Until policies, procedures, and airworthiness certification requirements are developed based on improved data, today’s commercial aviation and space operations will continue to use this same methodology to manage and restrict the NAS. As the final authority and the individuals responsible for the safety of the fight, pilots need timely, helpful information about launch and reentry activities so that we can make an informed decision about whether flying so close to these operations is safe.”