Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves announced at SATELLITE 2023 that the U.S. will review satellite export license applications to MTCR partners on a case-by-case basis — no longer under a presumption of denial even if the launch vehicle is not U.S.-encouraged. “That may seem like a subtle distinction. But for those of you who have been denied satellite exports to certain MTCR countries due to the choice of launch vehicle, this change of interpretation will have major business implications. It will open the door to potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in new exports of U.S. satellite and satellite components.”
Graves outlined Commerce’s five-area strategic plan: coordinating regulatory functions; growing the customer base for U.S. commercial space goods; improving space safety and sustainability; promoting commercial space innovation; and advancing Earth observation capabilities.
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The department’s Advocacy Center contributed to international space contract wins worth ~$406 million over the past year and is working on 29 cases with an estimated value of nearly $9 billion.
The Office of Space Commerce received a $70 million FY2023 appropriation from Congress for space safety and sustainability — a large increase from prior years.
“What I hope that you’ll take away from my remarks is that the Department of Commerce is fully engaged with our commercial space industry,” Graves said. VS
