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The
plan would expand the Federal Aviation Administration's
oversight of rocket launch sites on Earth to include various
crewed and uncrewed activities in space, from regulating private
astronaut missions to licensing commercial space stations and
trips to the moon.
And the U.S. Department of Commerce, which oversees imaging
satellites and other commercial remote sensing activities, would
have various other uncrewed spacecraft added to its regulatory
purview, such as the emerging field of privately built in-space
servicing spacecraft.
Private space endeavors are surging in the U.S., from tourist
trips to commercial refueling satellites. Yet few U.S.
regulations govern those novel activities as various countries
step up their presence in Earth's orbit, a borderless domain
with surging spacecraft traffic.
The proposed regulatory arrangement aims to keep the U.S. in
compliance with a landmark space treaty requiring countries to
authorize and supervise the activities of non-government
entities.
(Reporting by Joey Roulette; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
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