FAVORABLE, THEY SAY, FOR LAUNCHING. THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, THE FAA, IS PUTTING A CURFEW ON SPACEX LAUNCHES DURING THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN STARTING ON NOVEMBER 10TH. COMMERCIAL SPACEX LAUNCHES AND REENTRIES WILL BE LIMITED BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 10 P.M. AND 6 A.M., THE AGENCY SAYS THIS IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF T
FAA restricts space launches as thousands of NASA workers go unpaid
Updated: 5:54 PM EST Nov 7, 2025
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an emergency order restricting the use of airspace across the country.“When you have people not being paid, you’re going to have fewer of them showing up to work overtime — that’s just human nature,” Rep. Mike Haridopolos said. “What we have done is said we need to make it safety first. That’s why we’ve made these adjustments with our flights.”The 15-page order from the FAA says that starting Nov. 10, commercial space launches and reentries will be restricted. Launches will only be permitted between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.Officials said the change will not impact the Artemis II mission, but it is unclear how long the restrictions on launches will last.Haridopolos sits on the House committee overseeing space policy and programs. He said about 15,000 NASA employees are not being paid. Some are furloughed, while others are working without a paycheck.“The good news is that Blue Origin, SpaceX, Airbus — all those major players here in Florida and across the country — are still working on the private side,” Haridopolos said. “But the public side is focused exclusively on Artemis. They’re not working on some of the other projects that are so vital to winning the space race.”The order does not have an end date, and launches next week will have to adjust their timeframes to meet the new curfew.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. —
“When you have people not being paid, you’re going to have fewer of them showing up to work overtime — that’s just human nature,” Rep. Mike Haridopolos said. “What we have done is said we need to make it safety first. That’s why we’ve made these adjustments with our flights.”
The 15-page order from the FAA says that starting Nov. 10, commercial space launches and reentries will be restricted. Launches will only be permitted between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Officials said the change will not impact the Artemis II mission, but it is unclear how long the restrictions on launches will last.
Haridopolos sits on the House committee overseeing space policy and programs. He said about 15,000 NASA employees are not being paid. Some are furloughed, while others are working without a paycheck.
“The good news is that Blue Origin, SpaceX, Airbus — all those major players here in Florida and across the country — are still working on the private side,” Haridopolos said. “But the public side is focused exclusively on Artemis. They’re not working on some of the other projects that are so vital to winning the space race.”
The order does not have an end date, and launches next week will have to adjust their timeframes to meet the new curfew.