Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984

Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984
Great Seal of the United States
Long title An Act to facilitate commercial space launches, and for other purposes.
Acronyms (colloquial) CSLA, ELVCA
Nicknames Expendable Launch Vehicle Commercialization Act
Enacted by the 98th United States Congress
Effective October 30, 1984
Citations
Public law 98-575
Statutes at Large 98 Stat. 3055
Codification
Titles amended 51 U.S.C.: National and Commercial Space Programs
U.S.C. sections created 51 U.S.C. § 50901 et seq.
Legislative history

Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 is a United States federal law authored to facilitate the private enterprise of the commercialization of space and space technology. The Act of Congress set forth the quest to acquire innovative equipment and services offered by entrepreneurial ventures from the information technology services, remote sensing technology, and telecommunications industries. The Act recognized the United States private sector as having the capability to develop commercial launch vehicles, orbital satellites, and operate private launch sites and services. The Act also assigned the duties of overseeing and coordinating commercial launches, issuing of licenses and permits, and promotion of safety standards to the Secretary of Department of Transportation.[1]

The H.R. 3942 legislation was enacted by the 98th Congressional session and signed by the 40th President of the United States Ronald Reagan on October 30, 1984.[2]

History

In the 1970s, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration began to look for ways to outsource the use of its launching facilities and services to private companies such as COMSAT, RCA, and Western Union.[3] This search was due to the fact that maintaining, modifying, launching, and other duties required to launch expendable launch vehicles cost upwards of billions of dollars. Once the space shuttle became operational, NASA and the United States Air Force began using it almost exclusively. In order to accommodate the heavy weight of the space shuttle launch system, the USAF spent billions of dollars modifying one launch pad in Vandenberg Air Force Base. However, it was never used.[4] Upon realizing the economic benefits of utilizing private space companies, the House Science and Technologies Commission proposed H.R. 3942 which eventually became Public Law 98-575, or the Commercial Space Act of 1984.

Commercial Aerospace Enterprises

Orbital Sciences Corporation
Scaled Composites
Sierra Nevada Corporation
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation
Virgin Galactic
XCOR Aerospace

Commercial Spaceports

Clinton-Sherman Industrial Airpark
Kodiak Launch Complex
Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport
Mojave Air and Space Port
Spaceport America
SpaceX autonomous spaceport drone ship

Amendments to 1984 Act

Chronological amendments to the Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984.

Date of Enactment Public Law Number U.S. Statute Citation U.S. Legislative Bill U.S. Presidential Administration
November 15, 1988 P.L. 100-657 102 Stat. 3900 H.R. 4399 Ronald W. Reagan
December 23, 2004 P.L. 108-492 118 Stat. 3974 H.R. 5382 George W. Bush

See also

Commercial Orbital Transportation Services
Office of Commercial Space Transportation
Private spaceflight

References

  1. ↑ http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title51/subtitle5/chapter509&edition=prelim
  2. ↑ Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. "Ronald Reagan: "Statement on Signing the Commercial Space Launch Act ," October 30, 1984". The American Presidency Project. University of California - Santa Barbara. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  3. ↑ McLucas, John L. Space Commerce. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1991. Page 89.
  4. ↑ McLucas, John L. Space Commerce. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1991. Page 91.

External links

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