Modernized Policies are Championing U.S. Leadership in the Space Race – Inside Sources

The Artemis II rocket. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

As Artemis II carried astronauts around the moon for the first time in over half a century, it marked more than a return to deep space. It underscored a new reality: America’s 21st-century leadership in space will be determined not just by the missions we undertake but by the policy environment that our leaders create, which will either foster and accelerate innovation, investment and global coordination or hold progress back.

During the original space race in the 1950s and ’60s, national governments were the prime movers. Today, the landscape is different. An entire commercial space industry filled with expertise and entrepreneurship is already driving into new frontiers and champing at the bit to keep advancing and scaling up even faster. Market demand for new space-based technologies is fundamentally transforming what we can achieve in communications, navigation, Earth observation and national security.

The federal policy landscape still has enormous power to set the trajectory for America’s space future. Federal Communications Commission space bureau chief Jay Schwarz calls this new era of space innovation a “Space Industrial Revolution.” This new era has potential, but we will need good policies that support innovation at pace and enable industry investment to continue scaling. 

A prime example of smart policy is the FCC’s recent decision to replace outdated regulations around the sharing of satellite spectrum with updated, performance-based criteria — ensuring artificial barriers do not hinder the success of low-Earth-orbit satellites and other advances.

Every four years, the International Telecommunication Union convenes the World Radiocommunication Conference, where countries worldwide establish rules to govern the use of spectrum — the world’s communication infrastructure. With nearly a year and a half until the next WRC in 2027, House Energy & Commerce leadership has asked the administration to help coordinate a unified strategy to ensure the talks deliver results for Americans. Important goals range from protecting reliable satellite communications and expanding broadband access to supporting U.S. companies competing in the global space economy.

WRC-27 presents crucial opportunities for the United States to protect our position in the modern-age space race. Luckily, the United States is ahead of the pack in reducing regulations and passing policies that champion space innovation.

In December, the administration’s executive order “Ensuring American Space Superiority” outlined a national policy to strengthen U.S. leadership in space exploration, technology and commerce by removing redundancies and modernizing launch to reduce costs, accelerate access and reform commercial space capabilities.

The Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining Act is another exciting step toward modernizing the FCC’s satellite licensing process. The bill’s House companion recently received broad bipartisan support in a hearing last month by a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee. These bills would ensure regulatory timelines keep pace with rapid commercial growth. We should not allow global competitors to slow our growth or cede American innovation to global regulations that bottleneck U.S. industry in space.

Industry experts say the FCC’s recent spectrum-sharing update also provides support going into WRC-27. Michael Calabrese, the director of Wireless Future at New America, says, “The FCC’s adoption of this modernized GSO/NGSO sharing framework will also give the U.S. delegation to next year’s World Radiocommunication Conference in Shanghai the evidence of success they need to build global support for making this far more efficient framework the basis for international rules that facilitate continued LEO expansion and innovation.”

Additionally, the economic gains of space innovation are far-reaching. We’re seeing investments in manufacturing, university training programs and increased demand for skilled labor ramping up to support this growing industry with homegrown talent.

Today, LEO satellites can transform high-speed internet access for remote communities. LEO satellites can connect families, schools and small businesses that previously had no internet options and create a resiliency safety net in other communities when infrastructure may fail. For this innovation, access to spectrum is required.

Every American benefits from space technology. We deserve a forward-thinking policy that supports innovation that improves our lives. When smart policies win, they create meaningful opportunities for people everywhere. Lawmakers should approach the WRC-27 with this goal in mind.

The competition in space is intensifying. Americans should be ready to lead.