Bridenstine Reveals New Bill with Sweeping Space Sector Legislative Reforms

Jim Bridenstine. Photo: United States Congress

[Via Satellite 04-12-2016] Congressman Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.) has released the American Space Renaissance Act (ASRA), a massive legislative bill that directs the U.S. government to leverage the commercial sector much more heavily and makes Mars NASA’s primary human spaceflight goal.

The bill is structured into three parts: national security, civil and commercial. Within the national security section, the bill requires the U.S. military to use hosted payloads more frequently, and creates two pilot programs: one for Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) (dedicated SmallSat launchers), and another for purchasing commercial weather data and services.

ASRA would implement fixed terms for NASA administrators, greater flexibility on funding critical programs, and sets Mars as NASA’s main human spaceflight priority. The bill requires plans and budgets consistent with that priority.

ASRA also furthers NASA support for commercializing Low Earth Orbit (LEO) endeavors, including the creation of a pilot program for commercial habitats not unlike those Bigelow is pursuing.

Lastly in the commercial sector, Bridenstine’s bill would boost funding for the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation and clarify the legal framework for certain non-traditional activities like commercial habitats, resource extraction, and on-orbit servicing. The bill would emphasize a civilian and commercial capacity to provide robust Space Situational Awareness (SSA), moving toward granting authority for space traffic management, in order to preserve access to the space environment. ASRA also includes a tax credit to incentivize payloads launched on American rockets.