Latest news with #NationalAirspaceSystem
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
FAA May Start Charging Rocket Companies for Launching
The Federal Aviation Administration may start charging rocket companies for every launch as part of their launch and re-entry licenses, if a recent budget reconciliation bill passes later this year. The idea behind it is to improve the revenue-generating capabilities of the FAA, in what is becoming a much busier and potentially lucrative space launch industry. The FAA needs to approve commercial launch and re-entry operations, and that means checking over the companies that apply for it. That endeavour has grown more costly over the years, and with the number of launch requests seeing explosive growth, the FAA's $42 million for its Office of Commercial Space Transportation is seen as far from enough for it to continue to function effectively. With the Trump administration's general distaste for budget increases outside of the military, it has proposed cutting a number of NASA and FAA initiatives and fixing governmental funding—effectively making its 2026 budget a real-world budget decrease due to inflation. As Ars Technica points out, this could leave the FAA struggling to meet its demands in the years to come. The proposal to alleviate this problem is to allow the FAA to start charging launch vehicle operators for sharing the skies with commercial aircraft. It would be a fee for each pound of payload mass the rockets were launching, starting with 25 cents per pound in 2026, and rising to $1.50 per pound by 2033. At that point, the fee would rise with inflation, allowing the FAA to seemingly keep pace with future launch cadences. SpaceX has repeatedly complained of delays in the FAA's licensing process. Credit: SpaceX However, to prevent this from stifling innovation of particularly large rockets, the fees would reportedly be capped at $30,000 per launch starting next year, rising to a $200,000 cap in 2033. Considering most rocket launches cost in the millions, if not tens or hundreds of millions, that kind of fee should be a drop in the bucket for most launch vehicle operators while still providing a much-needed form of revenue generation for the agency licensing them. "Nearly every user of the National Airspace System pays something back into the system to help cover their operational costs, yet under current law, space launch companies do not, and there is no mechanism for them to pay even if they wish to," senator and sponsor of the measure, Ted Cruz said in a statement. "As commercial spaceflight expands rapidly, so does its impact on the FAA's ability to operate the National Airspace System. This proposal accounts for that." The bill is still in the early stages, and it's still possible the Trump administration weighs in and tips the scales one way or another. However, as Ars points out, the Trump administration's nominee for the next FAA administrator has backed the proposal, suggesting it may make it through to real legislation.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Floppy Disks and Windows 95: The FAA Needs New Tech
Remember the good ol' days of Windows 95? No? That's because Microsoft ended support for the operating system nearly 25 years ago. Windows has seen several versions come and go since then, but it seems that the Federal Aviation Administration hasn't kept up. According to Windows Central, the FAA is only now planning to phase out the 30-year-old OS. At a budget hearing recently, FAA chief Chris Rocheleau noted that a major tech overhaul is in the planning stages. The FAA will no longer use Windows 95 for air traffic control. Floppy disks, another tech relic, will also be canned—something that should have happened a long time ago, one would think. Paper strips containing plane info will also be replaced by more modern tech—if such an overhaul actually happens. The FAA has good intentions, but raising the money for the upgrade may not be easy. The agency's plan for revamping its technology, laid out in a document titled Brand New Air Traffic Control System: America is Building Again, points to the agency's current budget as inadequate for the task ahead. 'Over the past 15 years, the annual appropriation to the Facilities and Equipment (F&E) account used to sustain and improve most of FAA's air traffic control infrastructure has remained essentially flat at approximately $3 billion per year,' the plan notes. 'This stagnant funding has caused the FAA to lose about $1 billion in purchasing power due to inflation, as the agency seeks to maintain aging systems and infrastructure and meet ambitious goals to modernize the system for increased safety and efficiency of the NAS [National Airspace System].' When it comes to outdated tech, the FAA isn't flying alone. British Airways, which retired its fleet of Boeing 747-400 planes during the COVID pandemic, revealed that the planes had made use of floppy disks the entire time. Never mind that floppy disks only store 1.44MB of data—the airline simply had crew insert up to eight disks to load critical flight information every 28 days. Interestingly, relying on floppy disks to update the avionics may have provided a certain amount of security for what is clearly important data to protect, a la Battlestar Galactica. Modern, remotely updated systems require extra precautions to stay secure. Still, it's a relief to know that modern planes are using newer and (presumably) more capable avionics.
Associated Press
04-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Mosaic ATM Supporting FAA's NOTAM Modernization With CGI Federal
LEESBURG, VIRGINIA / ACCESS Newswire / June 4, 2025 / Mosaic ATM is proud to announce that it has been selected as a key subcontractor to CGI Federal on a major Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initiative to modernize the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system - one of the critical components of the National Airspace System (NAS). This modernization effort will enhance aviation safety, efficiency, and resilience, improving how time-sensitive aeronautical information is delivered to NOTAM consumers. CGI Federal's recent award of this contract from the FAA will help deliver a secure, cloud-native, and scalable system. This new platform will facilitate future innovations in NOTAM and Aeronautical Information management and distribution. Mosaic ATM brings its deep experience in aviation operations, data management, systems engineering, and innovative Air Traffic Management technologies to support this ambitious and nationally significant initiative. 'We're excited to bring our operational insight and technical expertise to support CGI Federal and the FAA in transforming how NOTAMs are managed and delivered across the NAS,' said Chris Brinton, President and CEO at Mosaic ATM. This project aligns with Mosaic ATM's mission to deliver cutting-edge solutions that enhance aviation safety and enable the future of air traffic management. Read CGI Federal's full press release here. Contact Information Melissa Rodriguez Digital Marketing Manager [email protected] 305-794-2120 SOURCE: Mosaic ATM press release
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FAA seeks 'top innovators' to rebuild air traffic control system
June 3 (UPI) -- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Tuesday the Federal Aviation Administration is searching for "top innovators" to lead the rebuilding of the nation's "antiquated" air traffic control system. Duffy said the FAA will host two industry days next week in Washington, D.C., and another in New Jersey to meet with companies that could spearhead the building of the next air traffic control system. "We have an antiquated air traffic control system that is showing its age," Duffy said. "In order to implement President Trump's and my plan for a brand new system, we need the technical expertise and management experience from the best innovators in the world." "In the 'Big Beautiful Bill,' there is $12.5 billion to start this project. A big deal," Duffy told reporters Tuesday. "I believe the Senate's going to provide more dollars for us also? We'll see what they do ... This has to happen fast." "The failures of the past is that the FAA has gotten small tranches of money, not full funding," Duffy added. "We need full funding. We need the money up front so we can contract out and build this brand new system across the country." The FAA is planning to replace the core infrastructure of the system to include radar, software, hardware and telecommunications networks to make sure towers have the technology needed to "reduce outages, improve efficiency and reinforce safety." The proposed plan would replace fiber, wireless and satellite technologies at more than 4,600 sites and install 25,000 new radios and 475 new voice switches. And it would replace 618 radar systems that have exceeded their lifespan. The FAA's new system also calls for six new air traffic control centers, none of which have been built in the last 60 years. "It is critical the United States acts now to invest and modernize a National Airspace System that supports the future and moves beyond the 1960s," the FAA's air traffic control system report said. Plans to overhaul the nation's air traffic control system were announced by the Trump administration in February. At this point, there is no timeline or price for the project. The FAA said that information will come when the best company provides "innovative ideas and new technologies" to help execute and manage the massive reinvention. "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a new, world-class air traffic system," said FAA acting administrator Chris Rocheleau. "We need world-class innovators to step up and tell us the best way to build it."
UPI
04-06-2025
- Business
- UPI
FAA seeks 'top innovators' to rebuild air traffic control system
June 3 (UPI) -- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Tuesday the Federal Aviation Administration is searching for "top innovators" to lead the rebuilding of the nation's "antiquated" air traffic control system. Duffy said the FAA will host two industry days next week in Washington, D.C., and another in New Jersey to meet with companies that could spearhead the building of the next air traffic control system. "We have an antiquated air traffic control system that is showing its age," Duffy said. "In order to implement President Trump's and my plan for a brand new system, we need the technical expertise and management experience from the best innovators in the world." "In the 'Big Beautiful Bill,' there is $12.5 billion to start this project. A big deal," Duffy told reporters Tuesday. "I believe the Senate's going to provide more dollars for us also? We'll see what they do ... This has to happen fast." "The failures of the past is that the FAA has gotten small tranches of money, not full funding," Duffy added. "We need full funding. We need the money up front so we can contract out and build this brand new system across the country." The FAA is planning to replace the core infrastructure of the system to include radar, software, hardware and telecommunications networks to make sure towers have the technology needed to "reduce outages, improve efficiency and reinforce safety." The proposed plan would replace fiber, wireless and satellite technologies at more than 4,600 sites and install 25,000 new radios and 475 new voice switches. And it would replace 618 radar systems that have exceeded their lifespan. The FAA's new system also calls for six new air traffic control centers, none of which have been built in the last 60 years. "It is critical the United States acts now to invest and modernize a National Airspace System that supports the future and moves beyond the 1960s," the FAA's air traffic control system report said. Plans to overhaul the nation's air traffic control system were announced by the Trump administration in February. At this point, there is no timeline or price for the project. The FAA said that information will come when the best company provides "innovative ideas and new technologies" to help execute and manage the massive reinvention. "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a new, world-class air traffic system," said FAA acting administrator Chris Rocheleau. "We need world-class innovators to step up and tell us the best way to build it."
