The Exciting World of Commercial Space Transportation

By Pete Castellano

Commercial Space: A Zenit-3SL lifts off from its ocean-based platform in an FAA-licensed launch by an international consortium. Commercial space payloads provide services that include communications, remote sensing and scientific research.

On October 19, FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey delivered an address on the topic of Commercial Space Transportation, entitled, "All Systems Go."

Have you ever wondered how are we able to enjoy live television and radio broadcasts from anywhere in the world? Make international telephone calls? Use your cell phone, internet, or Direct TV? Satellite technology is the short answer. But how do satellites get to space? This is the function of commercial space transportation. Space transportation is the movement of people or objects to, from, or in space. You are probably familiar with at least one form of space transportation: the Space Shuttle. NASA owns the Space Shuttle and uses it to take astronauts and equipment into space. But the Space Shuttle does not carry the satellites that help us everyday. Commercial space transportation meets these needs, as well as the emerging business of ‘space tourism,’ where private citizens can purchase a trip into space.

Commercial rockets, also known as launch vehicles, are built and owned by private companies, not government agencies. However, the FAA plays a key role through its responsibility to regulate the commercial space transportation industry; encourage, facilitate, and promote commercial space launches and re-entries; recommend appropriate changes in federal statutes, treaties, regulations, policies, and procedures; and facilitate the strengthening and expansion of the United States space transportation infrastructure. The Office of the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation (AST) carries out this function.

In fulfilling its responsibilities, AST issues launch licenses for commercial launches of orbital rockets and suborbital sounding rockets. The first U.S. licensed launch was a suborbital launch of a Starfire vehicle on March 29, 1989. Since then, AST has licensed more than 100 launches. AST also licenses the operations of non-federal launch sites, or ‘spaceports.’ The first launch from a licensed, non-federal facility was that of NASA's Lunar Prospector aboard a Lockheed Martin Athena 2 on January 6, 1998, from Spaceport Florida.

In her October 19 address to the Commercial Space industry, Administrator Blakey remarked: “Commercial space is the next big thing. If you’re wondering, “Is it going to last?” Or “will the public buy into it?” Or maybe, “Has it progressed enough to make it?” Well, if you’re asking those questions, you’re late to the party. Commercial space is all systems go at this point. And, might I add, liftoff has already occurred,” … “Now from the government’s perspective, our official policy is this: to embrace the private sector’s daring spirit and clever ingenuity. And yes, you better believe that includes space tourism. We are in the business of encouraging and enabling the private sector. We develop regulations to make this high-risk business as safe as possible. And we make sure potential passengers are properly informed and are willing to accept the risks that remain. And then? Well then, we’ll step aside, get out of your way, and let you do what you do best: innovate.”

You can read Administrator Blakey’s entire address here: