PHMSA Seeking Comments on Spacecraft Components

PHMSA Seeking Comments on Spacecraft Components

Introduction

PHMSA is taking a fresh look at how the dangerous goods regulations apply to the rapidly growing space industry. In a newly published Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM), the agency is asking for feedback from the public on how its rules could be streamlined and modernized for hazardous materials that are integral to spacecraft payloads or components. As commercial spaceflight continues to evolve, from satellites to launch vehicles, PHMSA is signaling that it wants its regulations to keep pace. This notice opens the door for the dangerous goods community to weigh in on what’s working, what isn’t, and how the regulatory framework can better support innovation while maintaining safety.

PHMSA Looking for Public Comments

PHMSA has published HM267 and is inviting comments and suggestions on how to address the transportation of hazardous materials regarding spacecraft payloads and components in the HMR and the regulatory challenges industry faces when transporting spacecraft to a launch site, transporting recovered spacecraft, and performing related operations while maintaining a high level of safety. There are 11 total questions that PHMSA is asking the public to comment on, including below:

Key Questions PHMSA Is Asking Industry

1. What specific regulatory challenges do you encounter during the terrestrial transportation of hazardous materials in support of space operations?
2. As noted, certain types of alternative compliance are frequently granted through special permits. What existing standards (in addition to HMR-required standards) do you use currently in the design and manufacturing of devices and articles containing hazardous materials shipped for space operations? Could these standards be considered for incorporation into the HMR?
3. What packaging or articles used to transport hazardous materials in support of space operations are not designed or tested to an existing consensus industry standard? Are there currently any industry-led initiatives to develop new standards for the transportation and packaging of these products?
4. PHMSA is interested in understanding the existing requirements of other Federal agencies (e.g., NASA, DOW) to determine which HMR requirements may be redundant. From the industry stakeholder perspective, are there any HMR requirements that are redundant with the regulatory requirements of other Federal agencies?
5. In what ways are the training requirements of hazardous materials employees working in the space industry different from those of the hazardous materials industry as a whole?

How to Submit Comments

For the complete list of PHMSA’s 11 questions, see the Federal Register publication for Docket PHMSA-2024-0065 (HM-267).

When responding to a specific question, PHMSA asks that you please note the question number in your comment to assist in compiling the information that it receives.

Comments must be received by April 29, 2026, and identified by docket number PHMSA-2024-0065 (HM-267). You can review the official Federal Register proposed rule (HM-267) for complete details.

What Happens Next

ICC The Compliance Center will continue to monitor PHMSA’s progress throughout the regulatory development process. If you have questions or need guidance on current or upcoming regulations, contact ICC The Compliance Center. Our team of experts is just a call away at 855.734.5469, or you can email us. We are happy to help.

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