Launch Communications Act

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1648, the Launch Communications Act.

Over the last decade, we have seen the costs for exploring space drop dramatically. As a result, space launches in this country have increased dramatically. In 2013, the Federal Aviation Administration authorized eight launches. By 2023, just a decade later, the number was 117, and the number of space launches is only expected to increase in the years to come. Indeed, the FAA has already authorized over 100 launches this year.

To ensure our Nation as a global leader in space and other cutting- edge technologies, we must continue to foster this growth, which, in turn, will enhance our national security capabilities.

Transporting satellites to space cannot happen without launch entities having reliable access to electromagnetic spectrum. While the FCC has made impressive strides in the last year to allocate more spectrum for space launches, additional spectrum resources are needed. Congress must build on the FCC's efforts by making more spectrum available for commercial space launches as well as the space reentries.

This bill would help solve this challenge. Specifically, the Launch Communications Act directs the FCC to complete a rulemaking proceeding and adopt rules so that commercial space launches and reentries have access to the spectrum bands identified in the bill. The bill also requires the FCC to streamline its process for licensing spectrum to commercial space launch providers. Taken together, these efforts will better support providers as they communicate with their space vehicles during flight and upon reentry.

While this bill and its House companion are nearly identical, I will note that the differences between the two should not have a significant impact on the effect of the bill.

For instance, the House bill included a savings clause to specify that nothing in the bill would change the current special temporary authority for launch spectrum. While the version we are debating today does not have the savings clause, nothing in this bill should impact the ability of the FCC to provide access to launch spectrum using its special temporary authority.

I commend Representatives Soto and Dunn for their bipartisan work on the House version of the bill. S. 1648 will help secure America's leadership in the commercial space industry by strengthening our Nation's position as a prime destination for launching satellites into space.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill that basically provides commercial space launches access to spectrum and does other things to promote space launches and reentries.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 682, the Launch Communications Act.

Over the last decade, we have seen the costs of exploring space drop drastically. As a result, space launches in this country have increased dramatically. In 2013, the FAA authorized eight launches, but by 2022, less than a decade later, the number was 79. The number of space launches from the United States is only expected to increase in the years to come. We must foster and support this growth in order to enhance our national security capabilities and cement our Nation as a global leader in space and other cutting-edge technologies.

Transporting satellites to space cannot happen without launch entities having reliable access to electromagnetic spectrum. Right now the FCC only temporarily allocates spectrum for space launches. Nevertheless, this process is becoming increasingly burdensome given rise in the number of space launches occurring in our country. For the United States to continue its leadership in space, it is imperative that the FCC develop an efficient and effective process to license spectrum for commercial space launches, as well as the space reentries that inevitably must follow.

Now, H.R. 682 addresses these challenges. Specifically, this bill requires the FCC to streamline its process for allocating spectrum usage rights to commercial space launch providers. These efforts will better support these providers as they communicate with their launch vehicles during flight and upon reentry. The bill also directs the FCC to complete a rulemaking proceeding to adopt service rules for the spectrum bands identified in the bill for commercial space launches and commercial space reentries.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Representatives Soto and Dunn for their bipartisan work on this bill. This important bill helps secure America's leadership in the commercial space industry by strengthening our country's position as a prime destination for launching satellites into space.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation in a bipartisan

manner, I look forward to its consideration in the Senate, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto), the Democratic sponsor of this bill and a graduate of Rutgers University.

Mr. Speaker, this is a bipartisan bill coming out of the Energy and Commerce Committee. I urge support for this very important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 682) to facilitate access to electromagnetic spectrum for commercial space launches and commercial space reentries, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 682, the Launch Communications Act led by the gentlemen from Florida's Second and Ninth Districts.

Over the last decade, the American commercial space industry has dramatically reduced the cost to enter space, revolutionizing the industry. Investment has increased, and innovation has flourished. The number of commercial space launches has increased dramatically.

Unfortunately, our Federal processes have not kept pace.

To launch satellites into orbit, launch providers need access to certain radio frequencies, known as spectrum, which requires coordination between several Federal agencies.

H.R. 682 will take important steps to streamline the process for commercial space launch providers to gain access to the frequencies they need when they need them and ensure that a lack of coordination between Federal agencies does not hamper the thriving commercial space economy.

No space launch should be threatened because approval for their spectrum access is caught up in bureaucratic delay.

This legislation would provide more certainty to commercial satellite operators that when they make the investment in satellite technologies, they will be able to launch them into space.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 682, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the Second District of Florida (Mr. Dunn), who is the sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation would provide more certainty to our commercial satellite operators so that when they make the investment in satellite technologies, they will be able to launch them into space.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 682, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that the United States continues to lead in satellite communications technology and space exploration to ensure our global competitiveness.

In today's world, indispensable spectrum resources know no borders or boundaries, and they must be used to enhance space and satellite operations, provide broadband access to our fellow Americans, and enhance America's security capability.

As our private-sector partners continue to innovate, the Federal Government can play a collaborative role through the modernization of the launch spectrum licensing process.

This is why I joined my esteemed colleague from Florida (Mr. Soto) in reintroducing the Launch Communications Act. This updates and simplifies an outdated regulatory process so the U.S. can maintain our competitiveness in space exploration.

Currently, commercial missions launching from the United States to space must use government-owned spectrum to communicate with the rockets during launch and reentry.

Additionally, these private companies must apply to the FCC who must then coordinate with the NTIA to receive special temporary authority to use such spectrum each time they launch.

The Launch Communications Act will lift the burden of obtaining many authorizations and enable the private companies to temporarily use certain spectrum bands for satellite launches when needed.

On multiple occasions this legislation requires the FCC to streamline the launch authorization process for commercial launches, eliminating the special temporary authority process, permitting multilaunch authorizations, and automating the frequency review process.

This is consistent with Space Policy Directive-2 issued by President Trump in May of 2018 to refine Federal spectrum regulations and minimize regulatory burdens.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1648) to facilitate access to the electromagnetic spectrum for commercial space launches and commercial space reentries, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative

days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1648, the Launch Communications Act. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed a similar version, H.R. 682, which was led by the gentlemen from Florida's Second and Ninth Districts, Representatives Soto and Dunn.

This legislation is the product of bipartisan, bicameral negotiations. It takes important steps to streamline the process for commercial space launch providers to access the spectrum frequencies they need and ensure that a lack of coordination between Federal agencies does not hamper the thriving commercial space economy.

Importantly, just like Congressman Dunn's H.R. 682, this bill not only adds a new license model to meet growing demand, but preserves the ability of launch providers to avail themselves of the special temporary authority model that has served us so well.

I thank Senator Schmitt for working with us and for leading this product in the Senate, and I urge my colleagues to support S. 1648.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I also urge and encourage everyone to vote ``yes'' on the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.