What action did the FAA take regarding commercial astronaut wings after the high-profile flights of Bezos and Branson?
Answer
Paused the awarding of commercial astronaut wings
Following the high-profile commercial spaceflights conducted by Jeff Bezos on Blue Origin and Richard Branson on Virgin Galactic, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is responsible for regulating U.S. commercial spaceflight, implemented a significant policy change. The agency chose to pause the process of awarding commercial astronaut wings to passengers. This action was taken because the existing criteria were considered insufficient for this burgeoning industry, leading the FAA to state that the guidelines were under review to determine what future standards should be established for certifying space travelers who are not career government astronauts.
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