More regulation is poised to come to the business of space.

When lawmakers return from the Thanksgiving break, one of the first pieces of legislation set to potentially be sent to the House floor for a vote is H.R. 6131.

Better known as the Commercial Space Act of 2023,

the bill would designate the Commerce Department's

Office of Space Commerce as the quote

single authority for authorizing and supervising. of space and outside of launch, which the FAA would continue to oversee.

Meantime, the White House's National Space Council also put forward a plan that would

split authorities between the Transportation and commerce departments.

It all speaks to the growing commercial space economy, and the need for clearer rules as companies

look to ramp activities in orbit and beyond.

It's something Georgetown's Karen Shenowork knows quite a bit about.

Unfortunately, particularly in the area of launch and in the area of

emerging activities in space.

For example, in space servicing activities, in space manufacturing, future

lunar activities, commercial Leo habitat destinations for private citizens that want to go to

space, for example. Those are the areas where we are developing

regulation or even just statutes to govern the activity and in the area of

launch where our launch regulations are not keeping pace with the industry and are really

struggling to facilitate that true American launch capability of consistent rapid access to space.

Shenowork has operated at the intersection of space

and regulation throughout her career,

with time spent on the hill

...