Brownback Applauds Signing of Commercial Space Legislation

Press Release

U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today applauded President Bush's signing of legislation allowing the commercial space industry to confidently invest its resources in future suborbital space travel. Brownback worked hard to ensure the legislation passed Congress before the Senate adjourned for the year.

"This new law will give a needed boost to the commercial space industry," Brownback said. "For too long the commercial space sector has been hampered by unnecessary uncertainties. This will enable investors and operators to confidently make the investments needed to help Americans experience the dream and thrill of flying into space. Commercial space flight, a multi-billion dollar industry that could eventually rival our aviation industry, is getting off the ground."

The Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act, HR 5382, places the budding commercial space launch industry on sound footing by setting up a supportive regulatory construct under the Federal Aviation Administration. Most importantly, the Act gives strong support to investors and operators of passenger-carrying suborbital vehicles such as those being developed following Burt Rutan's win of the $10 million Ansari X-Prize.

Brownback continued, "The era of government-dominated space flight is coming to a close. Passage of the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act marks the beginning of America's expansion into the solar system. The next step is private sector flights to support the International Space Station. Private space endeavors will then play the leading role in space exploration."

Brownback is outgoing chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space. He held several hearings on the promise of private sector space endeavors. He also held hearings, including a field hearing in Houston, on U.S. space exploration, the space shuttle, the International Space Station, lunar and Martian exploration.

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