Sec. 599D. Spaceports

1,071 words·~5 min read·/bill/115/hr/4/pcs/section-599d

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It is the Sense of Congress that— State government-owned and -operated spaceports have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements to the national space launch infrastructure, providing the United States Government and commercial customers with world-class space launch and processing infrastructure that is necessary to support continued American leadership in space; State spaceports play a critical role in providing resiliency and redundancy in the national launch infrastructure to support national security and civil government capabilities, and should be recognized as a critical infrastructure in Federal strategy and planning; continued State and local government investments at Federal and non-Federal launch facilities should be encouraged and to the maximum extent practicable supported in Federal policies, planning and infrastructure investment considerations, including through Federal-State partnerships; there is currently no Federal infrastructure investment program funding or encouraging State and local government investment in spaceport infrastructure, unlike Federal grant programs to encourage continued investment in all other modes of transportation, including aviation, highways, ports, and rail, which limits opportunities for the Federal government to leverage and coordinate infrastructure investments with State and local governments;

Federal investments in space infrastructure should enable partnerships between Federal agencies with state spaceports to modernize and enable expanded 21st century space transportation infrastructure, especially multi-modal networks needed for robust space transportation that support national security, civil, and commercial launch customers; and States that have made investments to build, maintain, operate, and improve capabilities for national security, civil, and commercial customers should be commended for their infrastructure contributions to both Federal and non-Federal launch sites, and encouraged through a variety of programs and policies to continue these investments in the national interest.

Title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end of subtitle V the following: Sec. 51501. Establishment of Office of Spaceports. Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall identify, within the Office of Commercial Space Transportation, a centralized policy office to be known as the Office of Spaceports. The Office of Spaceports shall— support licensing activities for launch sites; develop policies that promote infrastructure improvements at licensed public launch sites; provide technical assistance and guidance to licensed public spaceports; promote United States licensed spaceports within the Department; and strengthen the Nation’s competitiveness in launch infrastructure and increase resilience for the Federal Government and commercial customers.

In carrying out the functions assigned in subsection (b), the Secretary shall recognize the unique needs and distinctions of spaceports that— launch to orbit; and are involved in suborbital launch activities. The Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation of the Federal Aviation Administration shall designate a Director of the Office of Spaceports. In this section: The term spaceport means a launch site that is licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The term public spaceport means a launch site that is licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration and is owned or operated by a State or local governmental entity, including political subdivisions of a State or local government. . The table of chapters of title 51, United State Code, is amended by adding at the end of subtitle V the following: 515. Office of Spaceports 51501 . Congress finds the following: A robust network of space transportation infrastructure, including spaceports licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration, is vital to the growth of the domestic space industry and America’s competitiveness and access to space.

Non-Federal spaceports licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration have significantly increased the launch infrastructure of the United States through significant investments by State and local governments, which have encouraged greater private investment. These spaceports have led to the development of a growing number of orbital and suborbital launch sites that are available to the national security, civil, and commercial space customers at minimal cost to the Federal Government.

The Federal Government, led by the Secretary of Transportation, should seek to promote the growth, resilience, and capabilities of this space infrastructure through policies and through partnerships with State and local governments. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit to Congress a report that— evaluates the Federal Government’s national security and civil space launch demands and the needs of the United States and international commercial markets; proposes policies and programs designed to ensure a robust and resilient orbital and suborbital spaceport infrastructure to serve and capitalize on these launch opportunities; reviews the development and investments made by international competitors in foreign spaceports; makes recommendations on how the Federal Government can support, encourage, promote, and facilitate greater investments in infrastructure at public spaceports licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration; and considers and makes recommendations about how spaceports licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration can fully support and enable the national space policy.

Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall— update the previous report prepared under this subsection; and submit the updated report to Congress. In preparing the reports required by this subsection, the Secretary shall consult with individuals including— the Secretary of Defense; the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and interested persons at spaceports, State and local governments, and industry.

The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study regarding spaceport activities carried out pursuant to chapters 509 and 511 of title 51, United States Code, including— an assessment of potential mechanisms to provide Federal support to spaceports, including the airport improvement program established under subchapter I of chapter 471 of title 49, United States Code, and the program established under chapter 511 of title 51, United States Code; recommendations for potential funding options, including funds that may be collected from launch providers or launch customers; and any necessary changes to improve the spaceport application review process.

In carrying out the study described in paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall consult with sources from each component of the launch process, including interested persons in industry and government officials at the Federal, State, and local levels. In reviewing funding options, the Comptroller General shall distinguish between spaceports that are funded by users and those that are not. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report containing results of the study conducted under paragraph (1).