Rocket Lab has lined up nearly $50 million in federal and state funding that will help the company expand a New Mexico factory where its produces space-grade solar cells.

The post Rocket Lab wins government support to expand solar cell production appeared first on SpaceNews.

The Senate passed legislation that would direct NASA to establish a program to remove orbital debris, but supporters of the bill will have to try again in the next Congress to enact it.

The post Senate passes orbit debris cleanup bill appeared first on SpaceNews.

The Departments of Commerce and Defense have signed an agreement to cooperate on transferring responsibility for civil and commercial space traffic management.

The post Commerce and Defense Departments sign agreement on space traffic management cooperation appeared first on SpaceNews.

The Commerce Department has hired a veteran of government and industry to be the next director of the Office of Space Commerce.

The post DalBello to lead Office of Space Commerce appeared first on SpaceNews.

Kayhan Space, a startup focused on space situational awareness and collision avoidance technologies, announced Aug. 17 that Kevin O’Connell has joined its board of advisors.

The post Former Commerce official Kevin O’Connell joins board of advisors of startup Kayhan Space appeared first on SpaceNews.

Rather than move forward with efforts to work with industry on space traffic management solutions, the Commerce Department is funding studies of topics that in some cases were addressed in a report last year by NAPA, risking both U.S. leadership in the field and space safety generally.

The post Op-ed | NOAA is stalling U.S. space traffic management appeared first on SpaceNews.

Gen. James Dickinson said he supports the transfer of space traffic control to the Department of Commerce “where it can be better managed."

The post U.S. Space Command chief makes case for civilian space traffic control appeared first on SpaceNews.

The transfer of space traffic management responsibilities from the military to a civilian agency in the Commerce Department is moving ahead even though Congress has yet to provide funding and authorities.

The post Commerce Department drafting space traffic management concepts as it awaits funding appeared first on SpaceNews.

A report commissioned by Congress agreed with the administration that the Commerce Department is the best agency to handle civil space traffic management (STM) responsibilities.

The post Report endorses giving Commerce Department responsibility for space traffic management appeared first on SpaceNews.

Two years after a space policy directive gave it responsibility for space traffic management, the Commerce Department says it is making progress on implementing that policy as it continues to seek additional funding from Congress.

The post Commerce Department hopes study will free up funding for space traffic management work appeared first on SpaceNews.

Satellite imaging companies are embracing long-awaited reforms to commercial remote sensing regulations, although one member of Congress doesn’t think the changes go far enough.

The post Remote sensing industry welcomes revamped regulations appeared first on SpaceNews.

The Commerce Department released long-awaited new commercial remote sensing regulations May 19 that eliminate many of the restrictions previously imposed on such systems.

The post Commerce Department releases streamlined commercial remote sensing regulations appeared first on SpaceNews.

Language in a fiscal year 2020 spending bill suggests that Congress is unlikely to act soon on the future of the Office of Space Commerce or the Commerce Department’s proposed role in handing civil space traffic management.

The post Spending bill highlights ongoing debate on Commerce Department’s role in space traffic management appeared first on SpaceNews.

Kevin O’Connell, director of the Commerce Department’s Office of Space Commerce, said the repository, called the Unified Data Library, is the first step in the transfer of some space situational awareness responsibilities as requested by the White House last year. 

The post U.S. Air Force to begin transferring space situational awareness data to Commerce Department appeared first on SpaceNews.

The Commerce Department wants to improve the standing of the American space industry in an increasingly competitive global market through a combination of regulatory reform and promotional efforts.

The post Commerce Department seeks to increase American space industry’s global competitiveness appeared first on SpaceNews.

The U.S. Commerce Department on March 26 sent a report to the White House declaring sufficient access to radio frequency spectrum critical for a healthy domestic space industry, but avoided weighing in on contested spectrum issues within the space and telecommunications industries.

The post Commerce Dept. sends White House 13 space-focused spectrum recommendations appeared first on SpaceNews.

Even amid growing venture capital investment in space companies, the Commerce Department is making efforts to encourage more institutional investment into the industry.

The post Commerce Department seeks to encourage more space industry investment appeared first on SpaceNews.

As the Commerce Department works on plans to take over civilian space traffic management responsibilities, the U.S. Air Force is making more data available on the positions of military satellites.

The post U.S. Air Force releasing more data on orbits of military satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.

As the House prepares to take up a bill giving the Commerce Department new authorities for space traffic management, the leaders of NASA and U.S. Strategic Command offered their support for such a move.

The post NASA, Defense Department support giving space traffic management role to Commerce appeared first on SpaceNews.

Nearly a month after the signing of a policy directive calling for commercial space regulatory reforms, Commerce Department officials said this week they’re moving ahead on a number of fronts.

The post Commerce Department moves ahead with space regulatory reforms appeared first on SpaceNews.

A key senator says he’s keeping an open mind regarding who in the federal government should have responsibility for the oversight of “non-traditional” commercial space activities.

The post Cruz still studying what agency should oversee non-traditional commercial space missions appeared first on SpaceNews.

For an administration that likes to play up even the smallest space policy milestone, the signing of Space Policy Directive 2 on May 24 almost flew under the radar.

The post Foust Forward | For commercial space, fewer-stop, not one-stop, shopping appeared first on SpaceNews.

With the signing of a new presidential directive calling for commercial space regulatory reform, the Commerce Department has released new details about its plans to create a “one-stop shop” for such issues.

The post Commerce Department to create “SPACE Administration” appeared first on SpaceNews.

Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross says his department is gearing up to add space traffic management to its growing portfolio of commercial space responsibilities.

The post Commerce Department ready to add space traffic management to growing space role appeared first on SpaceNews.