In support of efforts by the Trump administration to strengthen US leadership in space and support the US space industry, the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) is seeking stakeholder feedback on a proposed new, optional certification process for obtaining mission authorizations for novel space activities.
Under the proposed certification process:
- OSC identifies light-touch commitments that applicants must make to protect fundamental national interests, including but not limited to national security, international obligations and safety of third parties.
- OSC circulates the application and commitments to the US government interagency with firm deadlines to be notified of additional identified commitments, while conducting basic due diligence.
- OSC reviews and may choose to “certify” the proposed operations under these commitments [while reserving the right to not certify, thereby sending applicants back through the “traditional” regulatory process].
- Other agencies, such as the Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communications Commission, would either expedite their own processes for applicants with OSC certifications or accept the OSC certification as sufficient for certain parts of their internal analyses.
Access the Mission Authorization Stakeholder Feedback Questionnaire. Interested parties may complete the questionnaire or submit written comments via email to space.commerce@noaa.gov using the subject line “Mission Authorization Feedback.” OSC is particularly interested in input addressing the following:
- Relevant sector of the space industry (e.g., ISAM, LEO Destinations, launch, orbital refueling).
- Feedback on particular elements of the draft concept.
- Conditions that OSC should incorporate/consider to meet current US statutory requirements.
- General comments regarding “mission authorization of novel space activities.”
Although OSC says feedback will be accepted on a rolling deadline, the administration may decide to move quickly, and we encourage interested parties to timely file.
[View source.]
