Representative Kiley Introduces the New Space Age Act to Reduce FAA Bureaucracy

WASHINGTON – Today Representative Kevin Kiley (R-CA) introduced the New Space Age Act, legislation to make the Office of Commercial Space Transportation report directly to the Secretary of Transportation and streamline the oversight process for the commercial space industry.

“The New Space Age Act propels American innovation toward boundless horizons, fostering a new era in space exploration. With every launch, we continue the path to a brighter, spacefaring future. The New Space Age Act streamlines the oversight process by moving the Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) out from under the FAA and creates the Commercial Space Transportation Administration. They will report directly to the Secretary of Transportation, which will streamline communication on the commercial space industry. This commonsense legislation eliminates the middleman in the reporting process and enables the government to keep pace with the rapidly growing commercial space industry,” said Rep. Kiley.

“SpaceX supports any and all efforts to drive efficiency into commercial space launch and reentry licensing and applauds Rep. Kiley for his focus on this critical issue,” said Mat Dunn, Senior Director, SpaceX Global Business and Government Affairs.

CLICK HERE to view text of the bill.

Background:

When the Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) was created in 1984, it reported directly to the Secretary of Transportation. In 1995, AST was moved under the jurisdiction of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), where it remains to this day. Because of this, AST has to work through the FAA to report to the Secretary of Transportation. As the commercial space industry continues to grow, it’s important that the federal government does everything it can to encourage innovation and productivity. To continue to foster an environment of innovation and productivity, Representative Kiley introduced the New Space Age Act. This bill would elevate AST out from underneath FAA, creating its own office within the Department of Transportation. This will take out the middleman in reporting to the Secretary of Transportation and emphasize the importance of the growing commercial space industry.

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