Sinema’s LAUNCH Act cuts red tape to streamline commercial space launches
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Chair of the Space and Science Subcommittee, introduced the Licensing Aerospace Units to New Commercial Heights (LAUNCH) Act alongside Republican Senator John Cornyn and Democratic Senator Ben Ray Luján. The Senators’ bipartisan bill streamlines the application process for commercial space launches and licensing.
“Our bipartisan bill cuts red tape to improve commercial space launches and remove barriers in the licensing process – strengthening America’s global leadership in space exploration and innovation,” said Sinema, Chair of the Space and Science Subcommittee.
Currently, due to outdated regulatory barriers, the Office of Commercial Space Transportation of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA-AST) is unable to efficiently approve launch and reentry operations by multiple companies in a way that reduces the burden on the commercial space industry and on government resources.
The LAUNCH Act requires:
- The FAA to streamline the application of commercial space launches by taking industry feedback into account;
- The Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs (CRSRA) within the U.S. Department of Commerce to streamline licensing of private remote sensing space systems or satellites; and
- The FAA and CRSRA to provide assistance to applicants to help them navigate licensing processes.