Summer 2021

The Aerospace Advocate

As a benefit of your AIAA membership, we provide quarterly updates on public policy issues of relevance to the aerospace community.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

House Advances FY22 Appropriations Bills

The funding bills include appropriations for aerospace-related programs at various departments and agencies. Several Senate appropriations subcommittees have begun considering their respective bills; the full committee will conduct their markups after the August recess.

Sweeping U.S. Competition Bill Passes Senate, Includes NASA Authorization

Legislation investing nearly $250 billion in bolstering manufacturing and technology passed the Senate on 8 June. The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act doubles NSF’s budget over five years to $21.3 billion, creates a technology directorate within NSF, includes $10 billion to establish regional innovation hubs across the country, and provides $17.5 billion over five years for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Included as an amendment during committee consideration, the $23.5 billion NASA Authorization Act extends U.S. support for the International Space Station from 2024 to 2030, instructs NASA to fund development of not fewer than two entities in the human landing system program, and supports the agency’s aeronautics, space technology, and STEM education efforts. Also included in the larger legislative package is the Space Preservation and Conjunction Emergency Act, which formally assigns civil space situational awareness to the Department of Commerce.

NSF Authorization Clears House

The $75 billion NSF for the Future Act authorizes the research agency for five years and would create a new directorate to address societal and national challenges. It also expands several initiatives to broaden participation STEM education and careers. Moreover, it bars scientists and academics from participating in U.S.-funded research projects if they are also receiving support from China.

Lawmakers Introduce Bill Designating Space as Crucial Infrastructure

The Space Infrastructure Act would add space systems to the 16 sectors currently classified as critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security, directing the department and other agencies to develop guidance on how to protect it.

Legislation Supporting AAM Passes Senate Committee

The Senate Commerce Committee passed the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Coordination and Leadership Act in mid-May. The bill facilitates collaboration between federal agencies and civil aviation industry leaders when developing policies regarding advanced air mobility.

Proposed Bill Would Levy Space Tourism Tax

The Securing Protections Against Carbon Emissions Tax Act would create new excise taxes on commercial space flights carrying human passengers for purposes other than scientific research. It would also include a two-tiered excise tax for each launch into space, with the first tier applying to suborbital flights exceeding 50 miles above the Earth’s surface and the second tier applying for orbital flights exceeding 80 miles above the Earth’s surface.

Senate Confirms NASA Leaders, Other Key Officials

Bill Nelson, the former senator from Florida, became NASA’s 15th administrator in early May. He succeeds Jim Bridenstine. Pam Melroy, an AIAA Associate Fellow, has been confirmed as the agency’s deputy administrator as well. AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher congratulated both Bill Nelson and Pam Melroy on their confirmations. 

Meanwhile, the Senate has also confirmed Eric Lander as OSTP director, Rick Spinrad as NOAA administrator, Frank Kendall as Air Force secretary, and Heidi Shyu (AIAA Honorary Fellow) as DOD undersecretary for research and engineering.

House Science Committee Passes NIST Authorization

The NIST for the Future Act would update policies for programs across NIST and recommend that Congress increase the agency’s annual budget to nearly $1.8 billion by FY2026, largely to expand its research in areas such as engineering biology, greenhouse gas measurement, quantum information science, artificial intelligence, and advanced communications.

Companion Bills Would Fund Modernization of National Labs

The Restore and Modernize Our National Laboratories Act (H.R. 4514, S. 2232) provides the Energy Department with $6.1 billion each year over the next four years for priority maintenance projects at national labs, and the sustainment and upgrade of lab infrastructure—including construction. Funding could also support lab modernization programs and the promotion of environmentally responsible operations.

EXECUTIVE UPDATES

Vice President Names National Space Council Executive Secretary

Chirag Parikh was named National Space Council executive secretary. He was director of space policy at the National Security Council during the Obama Administration and then held senior positions at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Most recently, he was a senior director at Azure Space. The Council is expected to hold its first meeting this fall.

Pentagon Chief Pledges DoD To Space Norms

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has signed an unclassified formal memo mandating that the Pentagon abide by a framework set of norms for military activities in outer space—a department first. The five “Tenets of Responsible Behavior” for DoD space operations are:

1. Operate in, from, to, and through space with due regard to others and in a professional manner

2. Limit the generation of long-lived debris

3. Avoid the creation of harmful interference

4. Maintain safe separation and safe trajectory

5. Communicate and make notifications to enhance the safety and stability of the domain

Space Force To Establish Commercial Space Services Office

The service’s Commercial Satellite Communications Office will soon begin covering assessment and acquisition of commercial space services. More specifically, the office will be responsible for procuring satellite imagery, satellite communications, space situational awareness data and other services from the industry, and assessing how the military acquires new commercial capabilities.

FAA, Air Force Sign Commercial Space Deal

The FAA and Air Force signed an agreement aimed at balancing safety and reducing red tape during commercial space activities at ranges operated by the U.S. Space Force. Under the agreement, the FAA will accept the service’s ground safety rules and other processes as long as they satisfy FAA regulations, and in turn the Air Force will accept FAA licensing decisions and forgo its own requirements for the flight portion of a launch or reentry.

Enhanced Space Launch, Reentry Tracking

The FAA has activated the Space Data Integrator, which provides near-real-time tracking of launches and reentry vehicles so the agency can reduce the area it needs to clear out for safety. The system could reduce air space closures from four to two hours, decreasing flight delays for commercial aircraft and their passengers.

FAA Forming Advisory Panel to Further Drone Deliveries

The FAA created a new rule-making committee to begin the process of setting standards for long-range flights outside sight of operators. The new recommendations that come out of the committee will work in conjunction with remote ID and operations over people and at night rules that were released in December 2020 and implemented earlier this year. Recommendations are expected later this fall.

Commercial Space Station Development Proposals Sought by NASA

The agency has published a request for proposals for its Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development program, which will provide funding for initial studies of commercial space stations that could ultimately be used by NASA and other customers. Proposals are due 26 August.

NASA and NSF to Cooperate on Educational Programs Supporting Underserved Communities

Under the new agreement, NSF and NASA intend to collaborate on a common agenda and joint review of proposals; the agreement also provides more flexibility to support research, education, and workforce development proposals of mutual interest to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering.

New U.S. Space Command Strategy Released

The Commander’s Strategic Vision presents key tasks to maintain U.S. superiority in space to meet the “immediate,” “serious,” and “rapidly growing” threat China and Russia present to U.S. space capabilities. Meanwhile, the U.S. Space Force announced a research partnership with NASA with the goal of protecting U.S. satellites from cyberattacks.