Buttigieg Urged to Support Commercial Spaceflight Industry
Two Republican members of the House Science, Space and Technology committee have sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg regarding commercial spaceflight and the policies needed to keep the industry both thriving and safe.
“While America’s commercial space launch industry has demonstrated robust, safe, and reliable capabilities and services for several decades, leadership in the future will depend on innovation, adaptation, and evolution.”
Letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg from Congressmen Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Brian Babin (R-TX)
The members, House Science, Space, and Technology Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) (pictured, left) and Subcommittee on Space & Aeronautics Ranking Member Brian Babin (R-TX) (right), sent the letter following the passage in committee of legislation that authorizes the Department of Transportation’s responsibilities with regards to commercial spaceflight.
“While America’s commercial space launch industry has demonstrated robust, safe, and reliable capabilities and services for several decades, leadership in the future will depend on innovation, adaptation, and evolution,” Lucas and Babin wrote. “That is why Congress tasked the Department with the dual roles of both regulating and promoting the industry. It is also why Congress limited the Department’s authority to protecting the uninvolved public, and why it mandated a learning period before the promulgation of spaceflight participant regulations.”
Lucas and Babin also stressed to Secretary Buttigieg the need to maintain a regulatory environment that encourages innovation and growth in the nascent commercial spaceflight industry. "The Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST), established pursuant to the Commercial Space Launch Act, appropriately balances the goals of protecting the uninvolved public and ensuring the vibrancy of the U.S. commercial launch industry. AST has sufficient authority to fulfill its statutory direction to license and permit launches and reentries without the need for expanded regulations or the implementation of more draconian oversight requirements on license and permit holders.
"AST’s compliance monitoring and enforcement is designed to modify behavior to comply with federal safety regulations. AST also has various enforcement tools available to ensure satisfactory public safety results. Most notably, AST has the authority to prohibit future launches," the letter continued. "Recent actions by AST and licensees demonstrate the sufficiency of existing compliance and enforcement tools. As the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology considers future commercial space legislation and any potential policy changes to the Department’s authorities, rules, or regulations, we urge you to work closely with our committee and commercial space stakeholders to maintain global leadership of the U.S. space industry.
(Source: House Science, Space and Technology committee minority news release)