Overview
- The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued a Request for Information on Tuesday, July 7, asking for ideas to use the Outer Continental Shelf for offshore launches, spacecraft re‑entry zones and recovery operations.
- BOEM said it is exploring use of existing oil and gas platforms and new purpose‑built floating sites to expand capacity and operational flexibility for commercial and national security missions, and it emphasized the RFI is an information‑gathering step not an approval.
- The RFI covers BOEM’s jurisdiction of roughly 3.2 billion acres and is open for 30 days, with public comments due by Aug. 7, 2026.
- Conservation groups led by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Audubon Society warned that offshore launches and re‑entry could harm birds, whales, sea turtles and other marine life and increase risks from debris, while some industry players such as Seagate Space and launch firms see sea sites as a way to relieve crowded landports.
- The request builds on the White House’s December 2025 executive order to boost U.S. space infrastructure and would require further interagency coordination, environmental impact reviews and permits before any offshore operations could proceed.