Washington D.C. – The Commercial Spaceflight Federation applauds the release of the modernized Category XV rule of the United States Munitions List (USML) encompassing Satellites and Related Components.
“CSF commends the efforts the Administration is taking to modernize the USML, as it is essential for U.S. competitiveness,” said CSF Chairman Stuart Witt. “This reform will allow our commercial satellite industry to compete in the international market, grow our space industrial base and bring high-tech jobs back to the U.S. As technology develops at a rapid pace, we look forward to seeing the export control reform process continue to evolve.”
Although the reform effort updated some important regulations, almost all commercial human spacecraft were maintained on the USML after the review. Commercial suborbital, orbital, and planetary spacecraft are now entering the market as civilian platforms for human exploration, science, education, and tourism. Vehicles for these purposes, many of which use off-the-shelf technology, would more appropriately be regulated on the Commerce Control List (CCL). Download CSF’s one-pager for more information about the benefits of regulating commercial spacecraft on the CCL.
“While the overall export control reform effort is to be applauded, there is still much progress to be made on commercial spacecraft,” said CSF President Michael Lopez-Alegria. “Moving these vehicles to the CCL would give industry an opportunity to pursue global markets, enabling contributions to the U.S. economy and the growth of our space industrial base. We thank the Administration for their work on this critical issue and look forward to continued revisions to ensure that the U.S. remains a leader in spaceflight.”
About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever-higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation’s member companies, which include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, spaceports, suppliers, and service providers, are creating thousands of high-tech jobs nationwide, working to preserve American leadership in aerospace through technology innovation, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. For more information please visit www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Sirisha Bandla at sirisha@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.347.1418.
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