Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984

(colloquial)CSLA, ELVCANicknamesExpendable Launch Vehicle Commercialization ActEnacted bythe 98th United States CongressEffectiveOctober 30, 1984CitationsPublic law98-575Statutes at Large98 Stat. 3055CodificationTitles amended51 U.S.C.: National and Commercial Space ProgramsU.S.C. sections created51 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 President 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]

Provisions of the Act

Title 51 United States Code Subtitle V and Chapter 509 was compiled as twenty-three code of law sections to vitalize commercial opportunities and space launch services for the civilian space program of the United States.^[5][6]

51 U.S.C. § 50901 - Findings and purposes

51 U.S.C. § 50902 - Definitions

51 U.S.C. § 50903 - General authority

51 U.S.C. § 50904 - Restrictions on launches, operations, and reentries

51 U.S.C. § 50905 - License applications and requirements

51 U.S.C. § 50906 - Experimental permits

51 U.S.C. § 50907 - Monitoring activities

51 U.S.C. § 50908 - Effective periods, and modifications, suspensions, and revocations, of licenses

51 U.S.C. § 50909 - Prohibition, suspension, and end of launches, operation of launch sites and reentry sites, and reentries

51 U.S.C. § 50910 - Preemption of scheduled launches or reentries

51 U.S.C. § 50911 - Space advertising

51 U.S.C. § 50912 - Administrative hearings and judicial review

51 U.S.C. § 50913 - Acquiring United States Government property and services

51 U.S.C. § 50914 - Liability insurance and financial responsibility requirements

51 U.S.C. § 50915 - Paying claims exceeding liability insurance and financial responsibility requirements

51 U.S.C. § 50916 - Disclosing information

51 U.S.C. § 50917 - Enforcement and penalty

51 U.S.C. § 50918 - Consultation

51 U.S.C. § 50919 - Relationship to other executive agencies, laws, and international obligations

51 U.S.C. § 50920 - User fees

51 U.S.C. § 50921 - Office of Commercial Space Transportation

51 U.S.C. § 50922 - Regulations

51 U.S.C. § 50923 - Report to Congress

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 – Former NASA program
• Commercial use of space – General space-related commerce
• NewSpace – Spaceflight not paid for by a government agencyPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Office of Commercial Space Transportation – branch of the US FAAPages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback
• Private spaceflight – Spaceflight not paid for by a government agency
• Space advertising – Use of advertisements in outer space
• Timeline of private spaceflight

References

External links

• "Commercial Space Launches: FAA Needs Continued Planning and Monitoring to Oversee the Safety of the Emerging Space Tourism Industry" (PDF). U.S. GAO ~ GAO-07-16. U.S. Government Accountability Office. October 20, 2006. OCLC 124074607.