Good Afternoon!
It has been another busy two weeks in space law and policy! SpaceX delivered a new crew (including the first Space Force Guardian in orbit) and two empty seats to the ISS. Meanwhile, back on earth, the U.S. Congress keeps the government funded (for a while), NASA voiced concerns about the aging space station's health and the agency's lack of redundant systems, and the FCC opened up more spectrum for Starlink and other non geostationary satellite (NGSO) operators. At the UN General Assembly in New York, leaders took steps to stave off a space arms race and strengthen international frameworks governing outer space. Meanwhile, at another international conference, Russia let world know it sees commercial sats used in military operations as "legitimate targets."
All this and more in this edition of the Space Law, Regulation and Policy Update
On The Hill
Articles and Quotes
Congress Clears CR, Heads Home with To-Do List Largely Untouched (Space Policy Online)
On Thursday, September 26, the House and Senate passed a Continuing Resolution (H.R. 9747) to prevent a government shutdown until December 20 of this year. The bill continues existing levels of funding for departments and agencies in the discretionary federal budget, including agencies such as Department of Defense (DoD), NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). None of the FY25 appropriations bills have passed Congress, including the Commerce-Justice-Science bill that funds NASA and NOAA. Legislators now have until the end of the year to debate, amend and pass the appropriations bills to avoid a shutdown.
House Passes NASA Authorization Bill (SpaceNews)
On September 23, the House passed the NASA Authorization Act of 2024 ( H.R. 8958), which maintains NASA's focus on human spaceflight and science, notably through maintaining authorization of the Artemis program. The bill also backs several ongoing NASA initiatives like the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program and commercial spacesuit development. It mandates NASA to deliver reports to Congress on several topics of interest, including the Space Launch System and Human Landing System projects. The bill was introduced in the Senate on September 24.
AIA Calls on Congress to Move Beyond Short-Term Funding Following Passage of Continuing Resolution (Aerospace Industries Association)
In a September 25 press release, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) commended Congress for passing a Continuing Resolution but urged lawmakers to move beyond short term funding measures for future fiscal years. The report highlighted that temporary budget solutions create uncertainty and disrupt long-term planning for the aerospace and defense sectors and called for the passage of full-year appropriations to provide stability and support the industry's contributions to national security and technological advancement.
Introduced Legislation
On Thursday, September 26, President Joe Biden signed the Launch Communications Act (S.1648) into law. The now law mandates the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to finalize rules regarding the allocation of spectrum frequencies for commercial space launches and reentries. The law is expected to both ease and accelerate the process of gaining federal approval for deploying low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
On Monday, September 23, the House voted 366-21 to pass the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (H.R. 8959) which aims to authorize the space agency's ongoing activities. The bill would also direct NASA to provide several reports to Congress, including on non-NASA demand for the Space Launch System (SLS) and on alternative approaches to Human Landing System projects. The bill was introduced in the Senate on September 24 and referred to the committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
On Monday, September 23, the House passed the Accessing Satellite Data to Enable New Discoveries (ASCEND) Act (H.R. 6219) by voice vote. The bill would formally authorize NASA's Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition Program in which the agency purchases commercial satellite imagery for use in an array of scientific research. The legislation was introduced in the Senate on September 24 and referred to the committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
On Friday, September 20, Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Chair Jack Reed (D-RI) and Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-MS) filed a managers package to the SASC-passed version of the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA; S. 4638). The bipartisan package (SA 3290) contains 93 amendments and, along with S. 4638 and any additional amendments considered on the Senate floor, will be part of conference negotiations with the House. The House passed their version (H.R. 9070) of the NDAA in June.
Please find our Space Legislation Tracker here
Please click here to view the full report.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.