The US Commerce Department announced Thursday it is easing restrictions on exports of space-related technology, answering a yearslong call from space companies to reform regulations governing international trade.<\/p>\n
This is the most significant update to space-related export regulations in a decade and opens more opportunities for US companies to sell their satellite hardware abroad.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are very excited about this rollout,\u201d a senior Commerce official said during a background call with reporters. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long time coming, and I think it\u2019s going to be very meaningful for our national security and foreign policy interests and certainly facilitate secure trade with our partners.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the changes will allow US companies to export more products related to electro-optical and radar remote sensing, as well as space-based logistics, assembly, or servicing spacecraft destined for Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re easing restrictions on some of the less sensitive space-related technologies and on spacecraft-related items going to our closest allies, like Australia, Canada, and the UK,\u201d the senior Commerce official said. \u201cThese changes will offer relief to US companies and they\u2019ll increase innovation without comprising the critical technologies that keep our nation safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another update to the Commerce Department\u2019s regulations will remove license requirements for exports of \u201ccertain spacecraft components\u201d to more than 40 allied nations, including NATO and European Union member states, Argentina, Australia, Canada, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, and Taiwan. This will also create more license exceptions to support NASA\u2019s cooperative programs with other nations, officials said.<\/p>\n
A third change, which hasn\u2019t been finalized and must go through a public comment period, proposes to transfer some space-related item\u2014spacecraft capable of in-space docking, grappling, and refueling, autonomous collision avoidance, and autonomous detection of ground vehicles and aircraft\u2014from the highly restrictive State Department\u2019s US Munitions List to the more flexible Commerce Control List.<\/p>\n
,<\/p>\n
This would remove many of the space-related products from the Munitions List, which is covered by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).<\/p>\n
The Munitions List will still include items that \u201cprovide a critical military and intelligence advantage\u201d for the United States. These include space launch vehicles, satellites designed to gather signals intelligence, host anti-satellite weapons systems, or that have the capability to mitigate the effects of a nuclear blast in orbit, among other things. Additionally, numerous satellite components, including certain antennas, thrusters, and atomic clocks, will remain on the Munitions List.<\/p>\n
The Commerce Department has the authority to license exports of items listed on its control list, depending on the destination and end-use.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat nuance doesn\u2019t exist for the munition items controlled by State,\u201d the Commerce Department official said. \u201cSo we\u2019re really excited that we could bring some items over here to Commerce\u2019s jurisdiction, and that would facilitate trade because that would lower some of the hurdles.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), with membership from many satellite manufacturing and launch companies, applauded the regulatory reform unveiled Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe United States of America has always been the leader in space technology, and today\u2019s rules from the Commerce Department will help us expand that technological leadership into the future,\u201d said Eric Fanning, AIA\u2019s president and CEO. \u201cThese rules\u2014and ones like them\u2014take a tailored approach to facilitate more trade with our closest allies and partners while still protecting national security.\u201d<\/p>\n
The updated regulations announced Thursday come five years after the Commerce and State Departments released advance notices of proposed new rules for space-related export controls. At that time, the departments sought industry input on new export regulations, but didn\u2019t move to finalize the new rules until the National Space Council directed action on the matter last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith today\u2019s updates to our export controls, the United States is taking a bold step forward in fostering a strong space industrial base,\u201d said Chirag Parikh, deputy assistant to the president and executive cecretary of the National Space Council. \u201cThese changes will strengthen international alliances and reflect America\u2019s commitment to innovation and leadership in space.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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