Office of Commercial Space Transportation
Reports & Studies
Welcome to the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation Reports & Studies web page. This is the official collection of current publications, market forecasts, research studies, and reports about commercial space transportation.
These reports and studies cover launch technology, the global market, industry and environmental issues, FAA regulatory issues and government policy, and FAA's critical role in commercial space transportation.
We also provide access to a Library of technical papers, research studies, and special reports, and to an Archive of materials that are no longer in publication.
- Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation
- Commercial Space Transportation Forecasts
- Commercial Space Transportation Launch Reports
- Commercial Space Transportation Year in Review
- Developments & Concepts
- Economic Impact of Commercial Space Transportation on the U.S. Economy
- Reports & Studies Archive
- Reports & Studies Library
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation
The Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation is the newest publication by the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation. It will provide an overview of the industry's activities from the past year, including:
- orbital launch vehicles, suborbital reusable vehicles (SRVs), and on-orbit vehicles and
- platforms that launched in 2012 or reached advanced stages of development;
- commercial and Government launch sites;
- other commercial ventures, including companies investing in opportunities beyond low Earth
- orbit;
- regulations related to commercial space transportation;
- sources of public and private funding for vehicle and launch site development; and launch data and analysis, including a review of all orbital launches in 2012, 5-year orbital launch trends, a forecast of global launch demand, and a forecast of suborbital market demand. Go to Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation (PDF)
Commercial Space Transportation Forecasts
The Commercial Space Transportation Forecasts is an annual publication forecasting global demand for commercial launch services for a 10-year period. The report includes the Commercial Geosynchronous Orbit Launch Demand Forecast, prepared by the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) and the Commercial Space Transportation Forecast for Non-Geosynchronous Orbits, prepared by the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST). Go to Commercial Space Transportation Forecasts
Commercial Space Transportation Launch Reports
The Commercial Space Transportation Launch Reports feature launch results for specified time periods and contain information on worldwide commercial, civil, and military orbital and commercial suborbital space launch events. The reports highlight commercial launch activities, classifying commercial launches as either internationally-competed launch events; i.e., launch opportunities considered available in principle to competitors in the international launch services market; or any launches licensed by AST under Title 51 United States Code, Subtitle V, Chapter 509 (formerly the Commercial Space Launch Act). Go to Commercial Space Transportation Launch Reports
Commercial Space Transportation Year in Review
The Commercial Space Transportation Year in Review summarizes U.S. and international launch activities for a specific calendar year. It includes a review and analysis for the five-year period prior to the year of the Review. The Year in Review was first published in 1997. Go to Commercial Space Transportation Year in Review
Developments & Concepts
The U. S. Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts: Vehicles, Technologies, and Spaceports is an annual publication which highlights the significant developments in commercial space transportation within a given year. This publication focuses on expendable launch vehicles, reusable launch vehicles, U.S. commercial spaceports, reentry vehicles and in-space technologies, propulsion and vehicle component technology, current space prizes and competitions, and new developments in commercial human spaceflight training. Go to Developments & Concepts Reports
Economic Impact of Commercial Space Transportation on the U.S. Economy
The Economic Impact of Commercial Space Transportation on the U.S. Economy provides a detailed study of the commercial launch industry's influence on the U.S. economy. It is designed to quantify the way in which commercial space transportation is responsible for supporting space- and space-related industries in a specified calendar year. Go to Economic Impact of Space Transportation on the U.S. Economy
Reports & Studies Archive
The Reports & Studies Archive provides a permanent location for Commercial Space Transportation materials that are no longer in publication. You can use these reports and studies for reference and research. Go to Reports & Studies Archive
Reports & Studies Library
The Reports & Studies Library is a collection of technical papers, research studies, and special reports focusing on policy, industry, and market issues related to commercial space transportation and the FAA's role as the regulator for the U.S. commercial space transportation industry. The reports are organized under 12 subject areas. Go to Reports & Studies Library