A spokesperson from the FAA told TechCrunch in an emailed statement that the company’s request was not granted at this time “due to the overall safety, risk and impact analysis.”

That could mean so many different things.

I don't believe there's much of a track record for private crafts reentering from orbit, intending to be recovered. Most private crafts like communication satellites breakup on reentry and don't pose much of a risk to ground population. This station was designed specifically to survive reentry intact. I'm not sure what kind of deorbit equipment that station has but I would guess that's what the FAA is concerned with. Any failure of navigation or propulsion during deorbit could result in the station losing control which would have it crashing down in some unpredictable point and time along its 25,000 mile path over ground. Undoubtedly there are some large populations below the orbit of this station

Man I really enjoyed Inside Job, I hope they get to finish the storyline.

The FAA designates 18,000 ft to flight level 600, which is 60,000 ft above sea level, as class A airspace. Any aircraft needs explicit permission to enter class A, so that's normally only when an airliner is climbing to cruising altitude, but it would also occur when a spacecraft is descending through 60,000 ft.

Other countries, I don't know exactly, but they all function fairly similarly.

Me neither.

Makes sense though. If the reentry is botched you're essentially aiming a ~300lb projectile (or a bunch of tinier projectiles) in this case at who knows what at terminal velocity.

Launches at least control where the thing leaves from and are designed to fallout over non inhabited areas in the event of a botched takeoff.

I guess if you don't pay gravity then it won't pull your satellite back down.

They can't quanitize gravity after decades of effort but they sure can monetize it.

Their drugs are out of this world.

We are one step closer to real space pirates. This timeline might not be so bad after all.

They better put the aurora in a shielded cargo bay or the FAA is gonna detect it in their scan.

Should try EVE. It’s lucrative as fuck.