Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

William Shatner looks out of the New Shepard windows on NS-18.
Credit: Blue Origin

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is ending its Commercial Space Astronaut Wings Program and will recognize individuals reaching space on its website.

The FAA issued the following news today:

Credit: Virgin Galactic

• With the advent of the commercial space tourism era, starting in 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will now recognize individuals who reach space on its website instead of issuing Commercial Space Astronaut Wings.
• Before the Wings program ends, the FAA will award Commercial Space Astronaut Wings to those who had qualifying space travel in 2021, including 15 individuals who have already travelled beyond 50 statute miles above the surface of the Earth on a FAA-licensed launch.
• In addition, the FAA is making an honorary award of Commercial Space Astronaut Wings to two individuals who flew on a FAA-permitted experimental test flight in a space launch vehicle that broke up during flight in 2014.

Virgin Galactic pilot Todd Ericson and NTSB investigators at SpaceShipTwo accident site. Craft broke apart during a test flight on October, 31, 2014.
Credit: NTSB

“The U.S. commercial human spaceflight industry has come a long way from conducting test flights to launching paying customers into space,” said FAA Associate Administrator Wayne Monteith.

For a complete list of FAA Commercial Space Astronaut Wings recipients, go to:

https://www.faa.gov/space/licenses/human_spaceflight/recognition/