WASHINGTON — The Office of Space Commerce defended its proposal for a mission authorization scheme for novel space activities, arguing it would provide certainty for companies while limiting regulatory burdens.
The office released in March its proposal for oversight of commercial space activities not currently licensed by agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communications Commission. The proposal offered a voluntary “Space Commerce Certification” for companies to demonstrate their activities comply with laws and treaties.
The proposal is designed to reduce uncertainty for companies planning what are widely called novel space activities, ranging from satellite servicing to commercial space stations, that are not clearly regulated.
“The current licensing regime is not designed to address them,” said Taylor Jordan, director of the office, referring to novel space activities at a July 15 hearing of the House Science Committee’s space subcommittee. “U.S. regulations simply do not offer a clear path to ‘yes’ for novel activities. Instead, they risk trapping our industry in an endless maze.”
The office’s mission authorization proposal would turn the office into a front door for companies planning novel space activities, collecting information about them from the companies and then reviewing it in coordination with other agencies.
