‘FAA must regulate, not promote space industry’

Bloomberg

The US government’s edict to both regulate and promote the rapidly growing commercial space industry is a conflict of interest and must end, a senior lawmaker said.
Representative Peter DeFazio, the Oregon Democrat who is chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he would introduce legislation to alter the Federal Aviation Administration’s mandate. The committee heard comments on the agency’s role in space regulation.
The FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation has seen a 400% increase in space launches over the past five years, with a licensed launch occurring about every five days, said Wayne Monteith, the associate administrator who oversees the space office.
Many companies are now entering the space market, including Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp and Richard Branson-backed Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin plans to launch the billionaire into space on July 20. The company raised $28 million by auctioning a seat on the flight to an unidentified bidder.
In addition to overseeing the commercial space industry, federal law calls on the FAA to “encourage, facilitate, and promote commercial space launches and reentries by the private sector.” DeFazio said it’s time to end that “dual mandate” and let the FAA focus on regulating the burgeoning industry.