FAA bans daytime rocket launches amid US government shutdown

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an emergency order banning all daytime rocket launches in the United States starting November 10, 2025, due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. The restriction limits commercial space launches to nighttime hours between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am EST to reduce strain on the nation’s air traffic system, which is already under pressure from severe staffing shortages caused by furloughs and unpaid work among federal employees. This curfew primarily affects major launch sites at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, as well as California’s Vandenberg Space Force Station, effectively eliminating all daytime launch windows for commercial providers like SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (ULA), and Blue Origin. The shutdown has led to nearly 15,000 NASA employees—about 95% of its workforce—being furloughed, with only a small group continuing mission-critical work, while the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has kept most of its staff working without