Six senators have proposed a bipartisan bill that would direct the Federal Aviation Administration to solicit industry feedback and eliminate duplicative requirements to help streamline the application process for commercial space launches as part of efforts to maintain the U.S. competitive edge in space.
The Licensing Aerospace Units to New Commercial Heights Act — a.k.a. the LAUNCH Act — would require the Department of Commerce’s Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs, or CRSRA, to facilitate the licensing process for satellites and private remote sensing space platforms.
“The LAUNCH Act would make sure the federal government isn’t standing in its own way by streamlining the approval process for commercial space launches and reducing the regulatory burden placed on innovators,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said in a statement published Wednesday.
The legislation would also direct the FAA and CRSRA to offer assistance to applicants as they undergo the licensing process for space launches and satellites.
Cornyn introduced the bill with Sens. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M.; Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.; Rick Scott, R-Fla.; and Krysten Sinema, I-Ariz.