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FAA to complete orbital debris upper stage regulations in 2025 after fourth breakup of ULA’s Centaur upper stage in GEO

The FAA is moving ahead with efforts to develop rules for the disposal of upper stages as another Centaur upper stage breaks apart in orbit.

The company noted that the stage appeared intact in one image taken at 1:16 a.m. Eastern that day but another taken 16 minutes later showed a debris cloud. Tory Bruno, chief executive of Centaur manufacturer United Launch Alliance, said on social media Sept. 7 that the company was passivating the stages. It was with these concerns in mind that that Federal Aviation Administration released draft regulations nearly one year ago regarding disposal of upper stages on launches licensed by the agency.

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