General Policy Issues
In addition to its main focus areas, the Office of Space Commercialization also participates in various policy making activities affecting the commercial space industry as a whole, including broad national space policy reviews, international space fora, and other cross-cutting efforts. Several of these are described below.
- National Space Policy
- Space Commerce Legislation
- Government Purchase of Commercial Space Services
- International Space Cooperation
- Space Industrial Base
- Satellite Export Controls
- Radio Spectrum Issues
International Space Cooperation
The Office of Space Commercialization is consulted whenever the U.S. Government considers entering into bilateral science and technology (S&T) or space cooperation agreements with other countries, in order to ensure that any relevant U.S. space commerce interests are appropriately addressed.
The Office is also consulted when the U.S. Government sends delegates to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), which has developed several multilateral treaties and agreements on international space law. Current COPUOS discussion topics include space debris and space property law.
Visit the COPUOS website...The Office of Space Commercialization also participates directly in workshops, seminars, and conferences hosted by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA), which promotes international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. Recent activities include seminars and workshops on how satellite technology can be applied in developing countries to support sustainable development.
Visit the OOSA website...The Office of Space Commercialization has limited involvement in other fora addressing international space policy matters, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Futures Project on the Commercialization of Space and the Development of Space Infrastructure.
Visit the OECD website...Space Industrial Base
In 2007, the National Security Space Office (NSSO) and the Air Force partnered with the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to conduct a comprehensive survey of the U.S. space industrial base. The Office of Space Commercialization worked with BIS to identify companies to participate in the survey and to provide key inputs and guidance into the survey and final report.
Among other things, the survey data showed that most R&D spending and innovation is done by small and medium space companies. The survey also collected information on the impacts of export controls on the industrial base. The BIS data was presented to the Space Industrial Base Council (SIBC) of the NSSO in June and was used in the Defense Industrial Base Assessment Report of the U.S. Space Industry issued by the Air Force in August 2007.
Download the report at DOC.gov... Learn more about BIS... Visit the NSSO website...Satellite Export Controls
To export or reexport satellites and most satellite components to a foreign country, or to launch a satellite on a foreign launch vehicle, one must first attain proper authorization from the U.S. Government. Under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Department of State is the licensing authority for most commercial communications satellite exports and reexports, although recent interagency reviews of the U.S. Munitions List (USML) have resulted in the transfer of several categories of space-qualified components to the Department of Commerce's Commerce Control List (CCL).
Review the ITAR rules at state.gov...
In 2008, the Office of Space Commercialization and the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation jointly published an Introduction to U.S. Export Controls for the Commercial Space Industry. This short guidebook provides an introductory overview of the U.S. export control process as it applies to the commercial space industry.
The Office of Space Commercialization remains concerned that the impacts of the export control regime have a disproportional effect on U.S. space companies, particularly those in the lower tiers. In 2007, the Office assisted in the development of a Defense Department report on the U.S. space industrial base that included the associated impacts of U.S. export controls. According to the report, "export control compliance costs grew 37% from 2003-2006 with the burden of compliance significantly higher for firms in the lower tiers."
Read more about the report...On June 10, 2009, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2410, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for FY 2010-2011. Section 826 of the bill would authorize the President to remove satellites and related components from the USML, except with respect to exports to China. The Administration supports H.R. 2410, including the Presidential authority to transfer licensing jurisdiction for commercial communications satellites from the Department of State to the Department of Commerce. The bill is now under consideration by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Read and track H.R. 2410 at the Library of Congress website... Read the official Statement of Administration Position...
On August 13, 2009, the President directed the National Economic Council and National Security Council to initiate an interagency review of the U.S. export control system, including both the dual-use and defense trade processes. The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security has an integral role to play in this review.
Learn more at whitehouse.gov...Radio Spectrum Issues
All satellite communication systems require the use of radio frequency bands ("spectrum") to operate. The spectrum available for commercial use is very limited and considered a precious commodity. Within the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is responsible for managing the assignment of commercial spectrum, while the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) manages government spectrum.
U.S. providers of mobile satellite communication services are striving to maximize the use of their limited spectrum in innovative ways, such as by reusing frequencies assigned to their satellites on ground-based transmitters known as ancillary terrestrial components (ATC). The implementation of ATC allows the continuous provision of communication services in areas where satellite reception may be poor (e.g., inside cities).
The Office of Space Commercialization has worked closely with NTIA's Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC) to help ensure that such ATC additions will be allowable and that they will not interfere with existing government spectrum users such as the Global Positioning System (GPS). In January 2003, the FCC granted flexibility in the use of spectrum for mobile satellite service providers in three frequency bands, provided they meet specific conditions and limitations.
In addition to supporting the satellite communication industry's use of radio spectrum, the Office of Space Commercialization participates in U.S. efforts to protect GPS spectrum from interference both internationally and domestically.
Visit the FCC website... Visit the NTIA website... Learn more about the IRAC...External References
For additional information, visit any of the following external websites. To request the addition of another industry association web site link, please see the contact information below.
- Space Enterprise Council: Representing the U.S. space commerce industry
- Coalition for Security and Competitiveness: Promoting export control modernization
This page includes references and links to specific private sector organizations, satellites, and/or websites. These are provided for educational purposes and do not constitute a U.S. government endorsement of any private sector products, services, or views.
