regulatory
Space Council says NASA’s exploration programs “on track”
Nearly five months after directing NASA to accelerate its plans to return humans to the surface of the moon, Vice President Mike Pence said Aug. 20 that the agency’s efforts since then were “on track.”
Industry seeks more time to review revised commercial launch regulations
Dissatisfied with the length and content of proposed rules to streamline commercial launch and reentry regulations, industry officials say they will ask for an extension of an ongoing public review period for those rules.
Op-ed | NewSpace must be regulated
Move fast and break things, the mantra of Silicon Valley startups, has now spread to the space sector with Swarm Technologies going as far as breaking the law.
Congress includes space provisions in FAA bill as industry seeks action on other regulatory issues
With Congress set to approve a Federal Aviation Administration bill with some commercial space provisions, those in the industry are hoping for action on other bills before the end of this year.
Op-ed | Regulatory reform is not a one-off event
The American Space Commerce Free Enterprise Act takes a number of important steps to provide regulatory certainty for emerging commercial space applications; and to implement the United States’ international obligation to provide authorization and supervision for its private sector actors.
Foust Forward | For commercial space, fewer-stop, not one-stop, shopping
For an administration that likes to play up even the smallest space policy milestone, the signing of Space Policy Directive 2 on May 24 almost flew under the radar.
Commerce Department pressing ahead with commercial space regulatory reform
Backed by a set of recommendations endorsed by the National Space Council, the Secretary of Commerce says he is moving ahead with efforts to improve the regulatory environment for commercial space.
Regulatory reform to be a topic of next National Space Council meeting
When members of the National Space Council meet this week, they are expected to discuss, among other issues, regulatory reforms intended to promote growth of the commercial spaceflight industry.
Op-ed | Continued innovation, regulatory reform needed to further U.S. leadership in space
The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is "extremely optimistic" the National Space Council's agenda will include "a renewed commitment to the public-private partnerships."
Commentary | Commercial space innovation needs more government certainty
After the election, the early signals from the Trump transition and beachhead teams across the various departments and agencies involved in space activities largely echoed that same message of support. However, at least two of the recent decisions made by the Trump White House put in place policies that, as currently formulated, could hinder continued growth in commercial space.
Kilmer: Congress should collaborate with space industry on regulatory issues
U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.), a member of the House Appropriations Committee and co-sponsor of space resources legislation that passed last year, said Nov. 17 he wants the government to do a better job collaborating with the space industry on making new regulations that affect the industry’s growth.
Commercial Space Stations Face Economic and Regulatory Challenges
Proposals to develop commercial space stations in low Earth orbit that could serve as successors to the International Space Station face both an uncertain regulatory environment and questions about their economic viability, according to both those planning such stations and those who might regulate them.
House Approves Commercial Space Bill
The House of Representatives passed a bill with a number of commercial space policy provisions May 21, despite objections from some Democratic members about the bill’s language and warnings that the Senate is unlikely to adopt it.
Advisory Group Split on Commercial Spaceflight Export Reforms
Members of an industry group that advises the U.S. government on commercial space matters are in broad agreement that export restrictions on commercial human spacecraft should be eased, but sharply disagreed at a recent meeting on how to seek those changes.
Commercial Spaceflight Industry Pushes for Another Extension of Regulatory ‘Learning Period’
With less than six months to go before a limitation on regulating U.S. commercial human spaceflight companies expires, industry and government officials have yet to find agreement on whether to extend the current arrangement or, if not, how to replace it.
Smallsat Constellations Spark Investor Interest, Regulator Concerns
A new wave of small-satellite constellations for communications and remote sensing applications is attracting growing amounts of venture capital funding, but regulators worry they will struggle to keep up with the licenses these systems require.
