…launching their own rockets into orbit?
I’m sure that there must be zoning laws to take into consideration, but what are the applicable laws, and is it possible to get licenses to bypass them?
The only thing that stops private individuals or corporations from launching into orbit is the cost. There’d be some red tape, to be sure, and you’d have to ensure the safety of any people present, but those would be minor considerations for anyone with the bucks.
If you mean what prevents someone just launching a harmless rocket into space then the answer is nothing but gravity and finances.
With proper funding you can pay to use a French launch facility and it is done regularly by many countries. Often using rockets purchased from france.
Now, if you want to build your own rocket and launch it from your backyard I think you had it right when you mentioned zoning. That much solid fuel or liquid fuel is hazardous and doubtless would get you into a load of trouble.
One concern is the FAA. They regulate the skies and an unexpected rocket or two will really put them in a bad mood. Another is the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. They regulate explosives and they consider things like rocket fuel and oxidizers within their purview, at least in the quantities you’d need.
I know a little about this because I have a goal of launching a rocket that exceeds the speed of sound. Obtaining the rocket is easy – they are commercially available from the high end of the model rocket manufacturers. The hard part, it seems, is getting the FAA and BATF to allow it. BATF is the difficult one (the FAA just says stuff like “don’t do this near an airport.”) because they regulate the rocket engines. By the time you get to one big enough to reach Mach 1 you are dealing with a significant amount of explosive. You have to go through a background check and demonstrate your ability to handle things safely by launching a couple of smaller (but still pretty big) rockets first. There may even be some sort of test required, I’ve forgotten the details.
It is, of course, possible to get approval from these folks, even for your orbital rocket, but they’ll want a lot of information and may insist on some sort of oversight.
I don’t know who regulates the use of space itself. NASA, perhaps? Obviously this has international implications, but you know the Chinese don’t ask us before they launch, so I guess we don’t have to ask them.
Hey, Andy Griffith did it in “Salvage One”. I’m sure nobody gave Andy any grief over explosives or airspace.
Yes, besides cost and technical difficulties, the FAA seems to be an obstacle. It doesn’t mean they ban all private launches, but you have to file a very detailed report, and they have to approve it. There is actually a prize called the Cheap Access To Space (CATS) Prize, and the deadline is in a few days (October 28). The page has information about various teams competing for this prize. You can also read an article on Wired which describes how the FAA rejected the application from one of the teams.
You cant just shoot a rocket up in the sky. There are planes flying around & satellites, etc.