• Education
    • Higher Education
    • Scholarships & Grants
    • Online Learning
    • School Reforms
    • Research & Innovation
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Home & Living
    • Relationships & Family
  • Technology & Startups
    • Software & Apps
    • Startup Success Stories
    • Startups & Innovations
    • Tech Regulations
    • Venture Capital
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cybersecurity
    • Emerging Technologies
    • Gadgets & Devices
    • Industry Analysis
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
Today Headline
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
Today Headline
No Result
View All Result
Home Science & Environment Space Exploration

Hidden and hampered: elevating the Office of Commercial Space Transportation

April 24, 2025
in Space Exploration
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
0
2
SHARES
4
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Winning the new space race with China is contingent on the competitiveness of the United States commercial space industry. While the Chinese space program enjoys the full financial and regulatory backing of its government, the U.S. space industry must grapple with burdensome regulations and oversight conducted by a confusing array of offices buried within multiple federal agencies. These offices are staffed by civil servants and regulators trying to do the right thing every day, but their efforts are often hidden and hampered by the morass of the federal bureaucracy that resists change and slows down innovation. 

During the first Trump administration, our nation’s attention on the growing importance of space was brought into focus with the creation of the U.S. Space Force. Similarly, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) brought additional focus on space and satellite issues with the creation of the Space Bureau in 2023, elevating the space industry out of the “International Bureau” and creating a new organization singularly focused on the importance of space to our economy and communications landscape. 

Now more than ever, a similar change is needed to focus the U.S. government’s efforts for the commercial space industry. In recognition of the growing domestic commercial space economy, the administration should elevate the Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) out of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) out of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Both offices must report directly to the Office of the Secretary and be given the high-level attention and “seat at the table” needed for an industry so critical to our national and economic security.

Both agencies — AST and OSC — are responsible for promoting and regulating commercial space operations. And both space agencies are hidden within much larger organizations with their own important — but very different — missions. While I’m a space industry advocate and can argue with anyone about the importance of space, I am going to lose that fight every day when comparing space in our daily lives to the importance of accurate weather forecasting and safe air travel. Burying commercial space within other organizations makes it hard for our industry to gain the executive branch’s attention without there being a national disaster in space. This must change. 

As a small office within the FAA, AST administers its promotional and licensing functions while being overshadowed by the FAA’s core mission of maintaining a safe and efficient airspace system and certifying air transportation vehicles and operations. Air travel and space launch and reentry are fundamentally different operations. The industries are at different states of maturity and have very different risk paradigms. It does not make sense to group these two modes of transportation under one umbrella simply because a rocket briefly transits the national airspace system. How this manifests is that AST regularly competes with other FAA offices to receive approval to undertake rulemaking proceedings, limiting AST’s ability to update and reform regulations in response to a rapidly innovating industry. In addition, in an often zero-sum budget environment, AST must compete with other FAA organizations to grow the resources and personnel needed to keep up with space licensing activities which have grown by more than 900% in the last decade. 

Just a few years ago, the entire Office of Space Commerce was composed of three government employees. Since then, the administration and Congress have broadened the office’s responsibilities to include building the U.S.’s civil space situational awareness capabilities which are essential for mitigating space debris and reducing the likelihood of collisions on-orbit. The office has also taken on licensing and regulating commercial remote sensing satellites. Furthermore, the commercial space industry overwhelmingly supports OSC leading a “mission authorization” framework to provide government oversight and supervision of innovative non-governmental activities in space. Despite its growing role in supporting the commercial space industry, OSC remains a relatively minor office within the NOAA. 

Of course, organizational restructuring would not resolve all issues relating to the U.S. government’s oversight of the commercial space industry. Certainly, the ongoing licensing and operational activities of both agencies must be maintained with minimal disruption as the agencies transition. Both should be granted appropriate resources to effectively complete their missions. The collaborative relationship between AST and the FAA Air Traffic Organization must be maintained. However, these short-term considerations should not outweigh the long term benefits associated with a more prominent stature within their respective departments. 

The greatest obstacle to U.S. dominance remains overregulation and a lack of attention within the government supporting this increasingly critical sector. By elevating AST to a standalone agency and establishing a Bureau of Space Commerce, the U.S. would clearly demonstrate its commitment to the success of the commercial space industry.

Dave Cavossa is President of the Commercial Space Federation.

SpaceNews is committed to publishing our community’s diverse perspectives. Whether you’re an academic, executive, engineer or even just a concerned citizen of the cosmos, send your arguments and viewpoints to [email protected] to be considered for publication online or in our next magazine.The perspectives shared in these op-eds are solely those of the authors.

Related

Tags: Office of Commercial Space TransportationOffice of Space CommerceOpinion
Previous Post

Live colossal squid captured on video in wild for first time ever

Next Post

3D-Printed Calamari Rings Match Real Squid Texture todayheadline

Related Posts

A white sphere sits on a black legged stand on top of a white surface with black buttons on one side of the sphere.

Sega Toys Homestar Classic star projector review

June 7, 2025
6
Still from the video game Everspace – Stellar Edition. A spaceship is flying through the broken debris of a satellite and some asteroids.

Best space & sci-fi games on Nintendo Switch 2025: Metroid Prime, Citizen Sleeper, No Man’s Sky, & more

June 7, 2025
7
Next Post

3D-Printed Calamari Rings Match Real Squid Texture todayheadline

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

April 2, 2025
Pioneering 3D printing project shares successes

Product reduces TPH levels to non-hazardous status

November 27, 2024

Hospital Mergers Fail to Deliver Better Care or Lower Costs, Study Finds todayheadline

December 31, 2024

Police ID man who died after Corso Italia fight

December 23, 2024
Harris tells supporters 'never give up' and urges peaceful transfer of power

Harris tells supporters ‘never give up’ and urges peaceful transfer of power

0
Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend's Mother

Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother

0

Trump ‘looks forward’ to White House meeting with Biden

0
Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

0
Ageless Granollers, Zeballos win French Open men's doubles title

Ageless Granollers, Zeballos win French Open men’s doubles title todayheadline

June 7, 2025
A technician checks her laptop inside a large data center room filled with computer servers.

Is CoreWeave Stock a Buy Now? todayheadline

June 7, 2025
Botox

New rules for cosmetic injectables aim to make the industry safer. Will they work?

June 7, 2025
Judge approves $2.8B settlement, paving way for US colleges to pay athletes millions

Judge approves $2.8B settlement, paving way for US colleges to pay athletes millions

June 7, 2025

Recent News

Ageless Granollers, Zeballos win French Open men's doubles title

Ageless Granollers, Zeballos win French Open men’s doubles title todayheadline

June 7, 2025
1
A technician checks her laptop inside a large data center room filled with computer servers.

Is CoreWeave Stock a Buy Now? todayheadline

June 7, 2025
4
Botox

New rules for cosmetic injectables aim to make the industry safer. Will they work?

June 7, 2025
5
Judge approves $2.8B settlement, paving way for US colleges to pay athletes millions

Judge approves $2.8B settlement, paving way for US colleges to pay athletes millions

June 7, 2025
5

TodayHeadline is a dynamic news website dedicated to delivering up-to-date and comprehensive news coverage from around the globe.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Basketball
  • Business & Finance
  • Climate Change
  • Crime & Justice
  • Cybersecurity
  • Economic Policies
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Policies
  • Europe
  • Football
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Health
  • Medical Research
  • Mental Health
  • Middle East
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Politics
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Science & Environment
  • Software & Apps
  • Space Exploration
  • Sports
  • Stock Market
  • Technology & Startups
  • Tennis
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Us & Canada
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • World News

Recent News

Ageless Granollers, Zeballos win French Open men's doubles title

Ageless Granollers, Zeballos win French Open men’s doubles title todayheadline

June 7, 2025
A technician checks her laptop inside a large data center room filled with computer servers.

Is CoreWeave Stock a Buy Now? todayheadline

June 7, 2025
  • Education
  • Lifestyle
  • Technology & Startups
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2024 Todayheadline.co

Welcome Back!

OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Business & Finance
  • Corporate News
  • Economic Policies
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Market Trends
  • Crime & Justice
  • Court Cases
  • Criminal Investigations
  • Cybercrime
  • Legal Reforms
  • Policing
  • Education
  • Higher Education
  • Online Learning
  • Entertainment
  • Awards & Festivals
  • Celebrity News
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Health
  • Fitness & Nutrition
  • Medical Breakthroughs
  • Mental Health
  • Pandemic Updates
  • Lifestyle
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Food & Drink
  • Home & Living
  • Politics
  • Elections
  • Government Policies
  • International Relations
  • Legislative News
  • Political Parties
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Middle East
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Cybersecurity
  • Emerging Technologies
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Industry Analysis
  • Basketball
  • Football
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Climate Change
  • Environmental Policies
  • Medical Research
  • Science & Environment
  • Space Exploration
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • Sports
  • Tennis
  • Technology & Startups
  • Software & Apps
  • Startup Success Stories
  • Startups & Innovations
  • Tech Regulations
  • Venture Capital
  • Uncategorized
  • World News
  • Us & Canada
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Travel
  • Research & Innovation
  • Scholarships & Grants
  • School Reforms
  • Stock Market
  • TV & Streaming
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
  • About us
  • Contact

© 2024 Todayheadline.co