Office of Space Commerce releases mission authorization proposal
Washington’s Office of Space Commerce issued a draft “light‑touch” mission‑authorization proposal on March 24, fulfilling a White House executive order that tasked the Commerce Department with delivering a regulatory framework within five months. The 13‑page document targets “novel space activities” that fall outside the current jurisdiction of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Communications Commission. By establishing a voluntary “Space Commerce Certification,” the office aims to provide a predictable pathway for companies pursuing satellite servicing, orbital‑debris removal and lunar missions. The proposal arrives after a decade of industry calls for clearer oversight of emerging commercial space operations.
The draft outlines a process in which firms submit applications to the Office of Space Commerce, which conducts basic due‑diligence and coordinates an inter‑agency review. Participating agencies have up to 30 days to raise objections, after which the office must issue a certification or denial within 120 days, operating under a “presumption of approval” unless a valid reason to refuse is identified. Certification would not replace existing launch, remote‑sensing or communications licences, but could be accepted by the FAA or FCC in lieu of certain requirements such as orbital‑debris mitigation compliance. The proposal calls for incremental development of certification standards, inviting early‑stage companies to help define mission‑specific obligations. The inter‑agency framework is intended to be far less burdensome than current licensing regimes, offering a rapid, streamlined path for innovative activities.
The initiative follows a series of policy experiments dating back to the Obama administration’s suggestion that the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation handle mission authorization, through the Trump administration’s shift of responsibility to OSC, and the Biden administration’s National Space Council proposal to split duties between the FAA and OSC. Congressional attempts to assign authority solely to OSC have stalled, leaving the industry without a consistent approval mechanism. Early reactions from the Commercial Space Federation, Redwire Space and the Aerospace Industries Association have been favorable, citing the proposal’s potential to reduce entry barriers and support the administration’s goal of attracting at least $50 billion of new investment in U.S. space markets. OSC has opened the draft for industry feedback, though it has not set a deadline for comments or for finalizing the policy.
