Why It Matters
Charter Space Technologies Inc. is lobbying on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commercial space launch regulations as the agency proposed waiving specified statutory requirements for some launch and reentry actions on July 30.
The filing's issues text names the mandatory insurance rules: the FAA licenses launches under the Commercial Space Launch Act, and the agency requires licensed launch companies to buy insurance covering damage to the uninvolved public and federal government property. The waiver proposal is not a final rule.
By the Numbers
King Street Solutions LLC reported $172,500 for the third quarter, signed Nov. 9. That is up $115,000 from its second-quarter report of $57,500.
Charter Space's third-quarter total across registrants is $172,500, up $70,000 from $102,500 in the second quarter. GrayRobinson PA filed a $0 termination in the third quarter.
Earlier complete quarters totaled $30,000 each, in the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter, all through GrayRobinson PA.
The filing lists two King Street lobbyists, both also on the second-quarter report:
- Jesse Binnall, president.
- Benyam Capel, government relations professional. His congressional record lists an internship in Sen. Cory Gardner's (R-CO) office in 2016 and a regional representative role in Rep. Ken Buck's (R-CO-4) office in 2018.
King Street is an outside firm. The filing lists no bills.
Broader Context
The filing names three targets: mandatory insurance in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) FAR supplements, and the FAA's Commercial Space Launch Act regulations.
On the FAR, a May 2, 2025 White House memorandum directed agencies to eliminate most non-statutory requirements. The source does not establish a change to space-related insurance provisions.
On FAA rules, the Congressional Research Service said that from March 10, Part 450 applied to all FAA launch and reentry licenses. Its June 2025 report describes the insurance requirement as part of a system that allocates risk between operators and the federal government.
The Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act extended the statutory indemnification date to Sept. 30, 2025. A 2023 FAA proposed rule said its treatment of 14 CFR § 440.9(b)(4) depended on whether Congress extended that date.
Industry and government reviewers have weighed in on how the requirement is set:
- Aerospace and aviation participants in the FAA's Part 440 rulemaking committee recommended in March 2024 updating the financial-responsibility regime. Their report says maximum probable losses are often around $100 million and that requiring $300 million to $400 million in coverage across the industry could be unreasonable or unattainable.
- The Government Accountability Office found in 2018 that the FAA had not fully assessed whether its maximum-probable-loss method balanced government exposure against launch companies' insurance costs. It estimated potential government liability above required insurance at up to $3.1 billion in 2017, subject to appropriations.
The Bottom Line
Watch the FAA's July 30 waiver proposal, which does not itself set a final rule, and any FAR change that touches space insurance.
On the team, King Street joined Charter Space's lobbying roster alongside Carson Consulting in 2026, while GrayRobinson PA ended its engagement.
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