United States: Aviation

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Interim Final Rule is fundamentally reshaping the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program for federally funded transportation and airport projects.

In a unanimous decision issued May 27, 2026, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed a $39 million judgment the government had obtained against Flight Options, LLC, an Ohio-based fractional...

Another week, another reminder that space and defense come with sky‑high costs. Congress is pushing back on a proposed 23% cut to NASA’s budget with a $24.4 billion plan, while the Trump administration has requested congressional approval for a $1.5 trillion defense budget.

Major space industry transactions dominated April 2026, with Amazon's $11 billion acquisition of Globalstar marking a significant expansion into satellite communications, while York Space Systems pursued ALL.

Washington’s demand for space capabilities is headed for the moon: Senate appropriators continue to push back against proposed NASA budget cuts, U.S. Space Force is urging industry to expand satellite production and investment and has selected 14 vendors to compete under a 10 year, $1.8 billion program to advance next-gen space domain awareness, and the Golden Dome continues to grow in scope and cost.

As space innovation accelerates, traditional patent strategies face unprecedented challenges from extended development timelines, jurisdictional ambiguity, and dual-use technologies. Marshall Gerstein attorneys explore how a bifurcated claim strategy can protect intellectual property both on Earth and in space, ensuring companies secure rights early while maintaining flexibility for future commercial opportunities.

This week, NASA Administrator Isaacman will meet space industry heads in Washington to ensure alignment with NASA’s evolving strategy, FCC Chairman Carr has proposed that FCC Commissioners discuss spectrum availability for “weird space stuff,” and the Office of Space Commerce is weighing whether to introduce fees for orbital collision avoidance data.

On March 18, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that the first wave of what it calls "Conditional Approvals" have been issued to exempt certain foreign-produced uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS)...

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Space Commerce has proposed a new Space Commerce Certification process to address regulatory gaps for emerging commercial space activities like in-space manufacturing, satellite servicing, and lunar operations. This voluntary certification framework promises streamlined interagency review with a presumption of approval within 120 days, but significant implementation questions remain about how it will interact with existing FAA, FCC, and remote sensing regulations.