The Department of Transportation (DOT) has extended by two years the charter for a committee that advises DOT and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on U.S. commercial space transportation matters.
The 22-member Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) will continue to function through June 2023 under its renewed charter, FAA said Thursday.
COMSTAC is developing a proposal to update the civil aviation regulatory agency's human spaceflight guidelines and a potential funding mechanism for spaceport grant opportunities.
The new charter says committee members will review economic, institutional and technological trends within the space transportation sector and will provide a forum for government-industry discussions.
According to the document, COMSTAC's membership must include individuals and/or organizations that represent minorities, women and persons with disabilities to ensure that the FAA is attending to the needs of diverse groups.
“The membership shall be fairly balanced in terms of points of view represented and the functions to be performed by the committee. Every attempt is made to have representation from all segments of the commercial space transportation industry,” the charter states.