While Amazon founder Jeff Bezos prepares to take a rocket ride into space next month, making history as the first Blue Origin passenger, some in Congress encourage the Biden administration to keep commercial spaceflight thriving and safe.
Oklahoma Rep. Frank Lucas, the Ranking member of the House Science, Space and Technology committee joined Texas GOP Congressman Brian Babin in making US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg aware of the need.
They sent a letter to Buttigieg regarding commercial spaceflight and the policies needed to keep the industry both thriving and safe.
The Science, Space, and Technology Committee drafted and passed the legislation that authorizes the Department of Transportation’s responsibilities with regards to commercial spaceflight.
“While America’s commercial space launch industry has demonstrated robust, safe, and reliable capabilities and services for several decades, leadership in the future will depend on innovation, adaptation, and evolution,” Lucas and Babin wrote.
“That is why Congress tasked the Department with the dual roles of both regulating and promoting the industry. It is also why Congress limited the Department’s authority to protecting the uninvolved public, and why it mandated a learning period before the promulgation of spaceflight participant regulations.”
Lucas and Babin also stressed the need to maintain a regulatory environment that encourages innovation and growth in the nascent commercial spaceflight industry.
“As the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology considers future commercial space legislation and any potential policy changes to the Department’s authorities, rules, or regulations, we urge you to work closely with our committee and commercial space stakeholders to maintain global leadership of the U.S. space industry.”