Yesterday the House of Representatives passed an amendment to H.R. 2577, the FY 2016 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which would partially restore a requested increase in funding for the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST). The amendment, offered by Congressman Jim Bridenstine (R-OK), and co-sponsored by Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL) and Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), restores $250,000 of a $1.5 million increase requested for FAA AST’s FY 2016 budget.
An appropriate budget is required for the FAA AST to adequately fulfill their responsibilities to provide timely approval of launch permit and licenses for an industry that has seen an increasing number of launches per year since 2011. As many commercial companies begin their flight test phase, the number of applications will continue to grow, highlighting the importance of providing the necessary resources for the agency to fulfill its critical responsibilities and continue to encourage growth of the burgeoning sector.
“CSF applauds the passage of the Bridenstine-Rohrabacher-Posey amendment,” said CSF President Eric Stallmer. “Congressman Bridenstine and his fellow cosponsors have consistently championed pro-growth policies that enable the commercial space industry to continue to innovate, and we thank them for their leadership. CSF looks forward to working with Congressman Bridenstine, his fellow cosponsors, and Chairman Diaz-Balart as the appropriations process continues to ensure that the government has the necessary funding to be a stable and helpful partner in the economic development of space.”
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 202.715.2928.
