Helping U.S. businesses use the unique medium of space to benefit our economy
On Wednesday, November 6, the Department of Commerce (DOC) hosted a public meeting to discuss the four space export control rulemakings released by DOC and the State Department on October 17, 2024. The meeting featured …
Public Meeting on October 2024 Space Export Control Rulemakings Read more »
On Friday, July 28, the Office of Space Commerce released its second video presentation updating the progress of the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS), the Commerce Department’s space situational awareness (SSA) and space traffic …
Today, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced it is conducting a comprehensive assessment of the U.S. civil space industrial base in partnership with NASA and NOAA. The Office of Space Commerce …
Commerce, NASA Begin U.S. Civil Space Industrial Base Assessment Read more »
On November 30, during his State Visit to Washington, French President Emmanuel Macron met with Vice President Kamala Harris, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, and other …
President Macron, VP Harris Discuss Space Cooperation Read more »
Russia tested a direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missile on November 15, 2021, Moscow Standard Time, that struck a Russian satellite (COSMOS 1408) and created a debris field in low-Earth orbit. The test so far has generated …
On January 12, 2021, President Trump issued Executive Order 13972 on Promoting Small Modular Reactors for National Defense and Space Exploration. View order at federalregister.gov The Executive Order will further revitalize the U.S. nuclear energy …
Executive Order on Small Modular Reactors for Defense and Space Read more »
On December 16, 2020, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross published an opinion piece in Space News titled, “Space Commerce Accelerating.” The op-ed discusses the role of the U.S. commercial space industry in the new space …
Secretary Ross Op-Ed: Space Commerce Accelerating Read more »
Kevin O’Connell, Director of the Office of Space Commerce, spoke about space situational awareness at the 21st Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference, held virtually. Below are his remarks as prepared for …
On July 23, the National Space Council released “A New Era for Deep Space Exploration and Development,” a strategy paper that supports an ambitious vision for human space exploration and development. “The U.S. vision for …
White House Releases Moon-Mars Development Strategy Read more »
On December 3, Office of Space Commerce Director Kevin O’Connell delivered a keynote address at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s 2nd Annual Space Summit, LAUNCH: The Space Economy. Below are his remarks as prepared for …
On September 21, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross delivered brief remarks at a signing ceremony between NASA and the Australian Space Agency. The two agencies documented their intent to pursue a framework agreement on space …
Secretary Ross Attends U.S.-Australia Space Cooperation Event Read more »
On June 7, NASA announced a new policy allowing the International Space Station (ISS) to be used for for-profit activities, including manufacturing, tourism, and marketing. This is a change from previous policy that only allowed …
The Commerce Department will host a public meeting on space export controls on Wednesday, April 17, 2019, from 1:00-2:30 p.m. in Washington, D.C. The meeting is being organized in cooperation with the Department of Transportation …
DOC to Host Space Export Control Industry Day on April 17 (UPDATED) Read more »
A major launch anomaly marred yesterday’s attempt to deliver the next batch of cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program. It was to be the third CRS delivery …
Today, NASA announced its selection of Boeing and SpaceX to transport U.S. crews to and from the International Space Station using their CST-100 and Crew Dragon spacecraft, respectively. Under contracts worth a combined total of …
Commercial Crew Transportation Contracts Announced Read more »
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has completed its analysis of the data collected through its “Deep Dive” survey of the U.S. space industrial base. BIS has begun publishing publicly available reports …
Results of U.S. Space Industry “Deep Dive” Assessment Read more »
On January 12, 2014, the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) successfully captured the first Cygnus capsule launched as an operational, fixed-price cargo delivery service. Orbital, which developed the Cygnus spacecraft and its Antares …
On November 21, President Obama signed an updated National Space Transportation Policy providing guidance to federal departments and agencies on the development and use of commercial and governmental space transportation systems. The goal of the …
President Issues New Space Transportation Policy Read more »
On September 29, 2013, the first Cygnus spacecraft berthed with the International Space Station (ISS), becoming the second new cargo delivery system to be demonstrated under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. It hauled …
New Commercial Capsule Reaches International Space Station Read more »
Today, Colorado-based Surrey Satellite Technology US LLC (SST-US) announced that NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has selected SST-US for the flight of the Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC) payload. Under the agreement, SST-US will provide a …
NASA Awards Hosted Payload Contract for Deep Space Atomic Clock Demo Read more »
On April 21, 2013, U.S. space company Orbital conducted the first test flight of its Antares rocket with a simulated cargo capsule on top. Orbital is the second of two U.S. firms to successfully demonstrate …
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security released its report on the “National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Human Space Flight Industrial Base in the Post-Space Shuttle/Constellation Environment.” The report’s representative survey sample consists …
NASA has selected a proposal from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Mass., to build the first space-based instrument to monitor major air pollutants across the North American continent hourly during daytime. The instrument, to …
Today, another SpaceX Dragon capsule delivered more cargo to the International Space Station. It was the first such delivery under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program, bringing the Dragon out of demonstration mode and into …
Space Station Delivery Service Enters Operational Phase Read more »