Did you know that the FAA has re-entry licences? Neither did Varda
Did you know that the FAA has re-entry licences? Neither did Varda
The FAA says Varda launched its vehicle into space without a reentry license.
I'd seen the story about a spacecraft making a drug in microgravity and planning to land it in the US.
However, the recovery of Varda's capsule is on hold after the Federal Aviation Administration and the US Air Force recently declined to give Varda approval to land its spacecraft in a remote part of Utah. TechCrunch first reported the FAA turned down Varda's application for a commercial reentry license.
"Varda Space Industries launched its vehicle into space without a reentry license," an FAA spokesperson told Ars on Wednesday. "The FAA denied the Varda reentry license application on September 6 because the company did not demonstrate compliance with the regulatory requirements."