Press Releases
Hearing to Focus on Oversight of Commercial Space TransportationThe Subcommittee on Aviation, chaired by U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), will hold a hearing next week on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) oversight of the commercial space transportation industry. The FAA has the responsibility and authority within the Department of Transportation to facilitate, regulate, and promote the commercial space launch industry. With the retirement of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011, the United States no longer has a domestic option to transport humans into space and must now rely on paying other nations to do so. Private industry, with the support of NASA and the FAA, has worked to fill this transportation gap while developing new and innovative methods to transport passengers and cargo safely and efficiently into space. This hearing will examine issues associated with the developing commercial space tourism industry, including safety, integration of operations into the National Airspace System, spaceports, and indemnification. The Subcommittee hearing, entitled, “FAA Oversight of Commercial Space Transportation,” is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 22, 2016, in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building. Witness List: More information about the hearing, including testimony, additional background information, and link to live webcast will be posted here as it becomes available. # # # |