Congressman Kevin McCarthy today introduced the Suborbital and Orbital Advancement and Regulatory Streamlining (SOARS) Act. The bill will streamline the regulatory process for commercial spacecraft, ensuring that the commercial spaceflight industry can continue to innovate quickly and safely, creating high-quality American jobs in the process.
Joining Congressman McCarthy as an original cosponsor of the SOARS Act is Representative Bill Posey of Florida, who is a member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
Congressman McCarthy issued the following statement:
"Today I introduced legislation to help ensure that the commercial spaceflight industry has a clear path ahead as it continues to innovate and generate high-quality American manufacturing jobs. I have seen firsthand how the talented people of East Kern County have grown this industry through technological advancement, and this legislation will help ensure they are not hindered in creating jobs here locally."
Congressman Posey issued the following statement:
"A new generation of American space entrepreneurs are eager to provide services to NASA and meet other new demands for space exploration. Unfortunately, bureaucratic barriers are hindering the development of a robust commercial program in the United States which is critical to maintaining our leadership in space and our national security. Our bill is a big step in streamlining FAA regulations and establishes demonstration projects for space companies supporting launch activities to safely move forward. I am very pleased to work with Whip McCarthy on this common sense legislation which will update our laws and regulations so America can capture this market."
Leaders in the commercial space industry support the legislation:
"The time has come for leadership which allows for the adult conversation on technical legislation matters which frame innovative job creation in America. Shying away from this subject only delays what is required. I applaud Mr. McCarthy and Mr. Posey for taking a stand and enabling the FAA, Congress, space flight innovators, spaceports and interested affiliates to engage in crafting a regulatory regime which promotes the long term interest of the new space industry while ensuring an appropriate level of operational safety."
- Stu Witt, CEO and General Manager of Mojave Air and Space Port
"It's encouraging to see our country's leaders pave the way for private spaceflight efforts to succeed. Legislation like this will keep cutting-edge projects moving forward and help our country remain at the forefront of space exploration."
- Paul G. Allen, philanthropist and founder of Stratolaunch Systems
"As Virgin Galactic continues its powered test flights and prepares for commercial operation, we are grateful to have leaders like Congressman McCarthy, who understand the importance of creating an effective, efficient regulatory system for a new generation of innovative space vehicles such as ours."
- Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Galactic
Background:
* The bill ensures that innovative launch and reentry vehicles have a "one-stop shop" for regulatory oversight, instead of dealing with two or more separate sets of regulatory requirements.
* The bill fixes a technical issue with current law to allow vehicle manufacturers to use individual vehicles as test platforms while other individual vehicles are being used in commercial service. Current law requires all vehicles of the same design either to be used for one purpose or the other.
* The bill creates a demonstration project to evaluate the benefits of using experimental aircraft to support launch and reentry activities.
* These provisions promote safety and innovation by unifying regulatory oversight, allowing companies to test safety improvements rapidly, and providing opportunities to develop new approaches to supporting launch and reentry activities.