FAA restricts commercial rocket launches indefinitely due to air traffic risks

Beginning next week, daytime rocket launches are all officially scrubbed thanks to the government shutdown.

As the record-long shutdown of the U.S. federal government stretches into its second month, commercial air travelers are beginning to feel the impacts at the nation’s airports. To help ease the strain, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an emergency order to limit who can access navigable airspace, which includes restricted hours on commercial rocket launches.