The National Space Council released on Nov. 15 proposed legislation that seeks to confer upon the Department of Transportation and the Department of Commerce the power to authorize novel commercial space activities, which are not covered by the current regulatory regime, SpaceNews reported Wednesday.
Under the present rules, through the Federal Aviation Administration, the DOT oversees human space flight in terms of launches and reentry. Under the proposed rules, the DOT’s oversight extends to commercial space stations and other human space flight missions, including those to other celestial bodies.
The proposed rules also authorize the DOT to regulate in-space transportation missions, like the delivery of items to the surface of the moon.
For its part, the DOC oversees regulation of commercial remote sensing under the present rules. The proposed rules expand the DOC’s authority to cover uncrewed spacecraft and other missions not covered by the DOT.
The DOC would also be responsible for coordinating space traffic, according to a report by Space.com. The DOC would assume this work from the Department of Defense.
Regarding the proposed legislation, Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg commented, “The FAA remains committed to ensuring novel in-space activities occur safely and efficiently.”
For his part, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves said, “This legislation ensures that our government will build a regulatory environment that supports commercial expansion to benefit all Americans.”