Interior agency seeks public input on using U.S. federal waters for offshore rocket launches

The Interior Department has taken its first formal step toward considering whether offshore space launches could operate from U.S. federal waters, opening a public information request on the idea as officials look for ways to ease pressure on increasingly busy land-based spaceports.

The move, announced July 7 by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on July 8, does not approve any launch project or identify any site. Instead, BOEM opened a 30-day public comment period through 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Aug. 7 to gather information that could shape future policy, guidance or coordination on offshore launch, re-entry and recovery operations.

In the notice, BOEM said it wants input on a wide range of technical, environmental, operational, legal, regulatory and interagency questions. That includes whether offshore space operations could use existing oil and gas infrastructure, such as mobile offshore drilling units or fixed platforms, or whether the better approach would be to build new facilities designed specifically for launch and recovery.

The agency is also asking about practical issues such as site selection, launch and re-entry concepts, environmental effects, interactions with existing offshore uses, and standards or best practices that could apply if projects eventually move forward. BOEM emphasized in the Federal Register summary that “This Request for Information (RFI) is intended to inform BOEM’s understanding of technical, environmental, operational, legal, regulatory, and interagency considerations associated with such activities. BOEM is not proposing a specific project, lease, easement, right-of-way, or authorization through this RFI.”

BOEM is the relevant Interior agency because it manages submerged lands on the federal Outer Continental Shelf, the vast offshore area under U.S. jurisdiction. The bureau said it anticipates relying on the Interior secretary’s authority under Section 8(p) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, a law that governs certain uses of the offshore federal estate, while also seeking comment on whether other legal authorities could apply. It also signaled that any future offshore launch framework would likely require coordination with regulators including the Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial launches, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Acting BOEM Director Matt Giacona said in the agency’s announcement that the effort reflects both the scale of federal offshore waters and growing interest in new launch options. “The Outer Continental Shelf presents a significant opportunity to support the future of America’s space economy,” Giacona said. “Offshore launch, re-entry, and recovery infrastructure could expand operational flexibility, increase capacity, reduce constraints on growing launch demand, and strengthen the nation’s commercial and national security space capabilities. With approximately 3.2 billion acres under federal jurisdiction, BOEM is uniquely positioned to help evaluate this emerging opportunity.”

BOEM tied the effort to Executive Order 14369, “Ensuring American Space Superiority,” signed Dec. 18, 2025, which the agency cited as part of the policy backdrop for exploring offshore launch and recovery. The request also arrives as private-sector interest becomes more visible. On April 6, Firefly Aerospace and Seagate Space announced a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on an offshore platform for Firefly’s Alpha rocket, a sign that companies are actively examining the concept even though BOEM has not identified any specific proposal.

Offshore launch has been pursued before, but BOEM’s action is notable because it opens a potential federal policy and regulatory path in U.S. waters. For now, though, the agency is still at the information-gathering stage. BOEM made clear the notice is not a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement, and any actual project would still require separate environmental and regulatory review.