49 U.S.C. § 70101 : US Code - Section 70101: Findings and purposes

Search 49 U.S.C. § 70101 : US Code - Section 70101: Findings and purposes

(a) Findings. - Congress finds that -
(1) the peaceful uses of outer space continue to be of great
value and to offer benefits to all mankind;
(2) private applications of space technology have achieved a
significant level of commercial and economic activity and offer
the potential for growth in the future, particularly in the
United States;
(3) new and innovative equipment and services are being sought,
produced, and offered by entrepreneurs in telecommunications,
information services, microgravity research, human space flight,
and remote sensing technologies;
(4) the private sector in the United States has the capability
of developing and providing private launching, reentry, and
associated services that would complement the launching, reentry,
and associated capabilities of the United States Government;
(5) the development of commercial launch vehicles, reentry
vehicles, and associated services would enable the United States
to retain its competitive position internationally, contributing
to the national interest and economic well-being of the United
States;
(6) providing launch services and reentry services by the
private sector is consistent with the national security and
foreign policy interests of the United States and would be
facilitated by stable, minimal, and appropriate regulatory
guidelines that are fairly and expeditiously applied;
(7) the United States should encourage private sector launches,
reentries, and associated services and, only to the extent
necessary, regulate those launches, reentries, and services to
ensure compliance with international obligations of the United
States and to protect the public health and safety, safety of
property, and national security and foreign policy interests of
the United States;
(8) space transportation, including the establishment and
operation of launch sites, reentry sites, and complementary
facilities, the providing of launch services and reentry
services, the establishment of support facilities, and the
providing of support services, is an important element of the
transportation system of the United States, and in connection
with the commerce of the United States there is a need to develop
a strong space transportation infrastructure with significant
private sector involvement;
(9) the participation of State governments in encouraging and
facilitating private sector involvement in space-related
activity, particularly through the establishment of a space
transportation-related infrastructure, including launch sites,
reentry sites, complementary facilities, and launch site and
reentry site support facilities, is in the national interest and
is of significant public benefit;
(10) the goal of safely opening space to the American people
and their private commercial, scientific, and cultural
enterprises should guide Federal space investments, policies, and
regulations;
(11) private industry has begun to develop commercial launch
vehicles capable of carrying human beings into space and greater
private investment in these efforts will stimulate the Nation's
commercial space transportation industry as a whole;
(12) space transportation is inherently risky, and the future
of the commercial human space flight industry will depend on its
ability to continually improve its safety performance;
(13) a critical area of responsibility for the Department of
Transportation is to regulate the operations and safety of the
emerging commercial human space flight industry;
(14) the public interest is served by creating a clear legal,
regulatory, and safety regime for commercial human space flight;
and
(15) the regulatory standards governing human space flight must
evolve as the industry matures so that regulations neither stifle
technology development nor expose crew or space flight
participants to avoidable risks as the public comes to expect
greater safety for crew and space flight participants from the
industry.
(b) Purposes. - The purposes of this chapter are -
(1) to promote economic growth and entrepreneurial activity
through use of the space environment for peaceful purposes;
(2) to encourage the United States private sector to provide
launch vehicles, reentry vehicles, and associated services by -
(A) simplifying and expediting the issuance and transfer of
commercial licenses;
(B) facilitating and encouraging the use of Government-
developed space technology; and
(C) promoting the continuous improvement of the safety of
launch vehicles designed to carry humans, including through the
issuance of regulations, to the extent permitted by this
chapter;
(3) to provide that the Secretary of Transportation is to
oversee and coordinate the conduct of commercial launch and
reentry operations, issue permits and commercial licenses and
transfer commercial licenses authorizing those operations, and
protect the public health and safety, safety of property, and
national security and foreign policy interests of the United
States; and
(4) to facilitate the strengthening and expansion of the United
States space transportation infrastructure, including the
enhancement of United States launch sites and launch-site support
facilities, and development of reentry sites, with Government,
State, and private sector involvement, to support the full range
of United States space-related activities.