Springfield Standard

Senator Eric Schmitt applauded the House of Representatives' passage of S.1648, The Launch Communications Act, a bill introduced by Schmitt and Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO) that passed the Senate late last year. The bill now heads to President Biden’s desk. This is the first bill that Senator Schmitt has introduced that has passed both chambers.

“It is encouraging to see the House of Representatives pass my Launch Communications Act. I will continue to advocate for common sense legislation that reforms and modernizes outdated government processes. As Ranking Member of the Space and Science Subcommittee on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, I have made it a priority to make it easier, not harder, for the commercial space industry to continue to innovate. America must maintain its edge in our 21st Century space race against China, and this bill is an essential step in maintaining American space dominance. I also thank Reps. Soto and Dunn for their years of leadership and assistance on these issues, and I look forward to the President signing this important legislation,” said Senator Eric Schmitt.

“We can’t lead space innovation with outdated processes and regulations holding us back,” said Senator John Hickenlooper. “Our bipartisan Launch Communications Act cuts the red tape. And now it’s heading to President Biden’s desk.”

As the commercial spaceflight industry continues to innovate, the need for more launches is expected to grow exponentially. Data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reveals that 79 commercial launches occurred in 2022. That number increased to a record 117 launches in 2023.

This underscores the necessity for regulatory processes at federal agencies to be modernized in order to keep pace with a rapidly innovating commercial space industry.

The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) current process for licensing spectrum for commercial space launches was created decades ago when there were few such launches.

As the United States’ presence in space expands, modernization of the FCC's spectrum licensing process is essential to ensure U.S. leadership in space over global competitors like China.

The FCC’s existing licensing rules have not kept up with growing demand for commercial space launches which bolster U.S scientific, economic, and national security objectives. Additionally, as launch providers face mission cancellations due to weather and other factors, inefficiencies within FCC's current process further strain its ability to support critical launch missions.

The Launch Communications Act aims to resolve these challenges by:

- Requiring the FCC to allocate temporary spectrum access for commercial space launch and reentry activities on a secondary basis within approved frequency bands.

- Allowing launch providers to bundle spectrum applications for multiple similar launches in order to streamline application processes.

- Instructing the FCC to automate its review process for license applications instead of relying on manual reviews which have led to ground stops of critical launches.

- Requiring new regulations from FCC aimed at improving coordination with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) thereby expediting authorization processes.

A similar version of The Launch Communications Act sponsored by Representatives Soto and Dunn had passed unanimously in July 2023 through the House of Representatives. They also played key roles in advancing the Senate-passed version through the House.