FAA Precedent on Drone Cloud Seeding

A startup wants FAA permission to fly small drones up to 15,000 feet with cloud‑seeding flares, but airline pilots urge denial over safety and environmental concerns. The FAA has issued a follow‑up information request, signaling it may create a template for hazardous‑payload UAS in controlled airspace. Whatever ruling emerges will guide how (or if) unmanned weather‑modification can operate in the national airspace. — A federal greenlight or redlight will shape the intersection of drone regulation and climate‑adaptation tools, influencing safety rules, environmental review, and state–federal conflicts.