White House Nears Plan to Assign Regulatory Authorities for ‘New’ Space Activities

The ongoing White House-level review of what is often called “mission authorization and supervision” responsibilities has not been simple, according to several government officials involved, with the key agencies with current legal say over space regulations jockeying for a piece of the regulatory pie.

ORLANDO — The National Space Council is expected to soon release a plan parsing out regulatory authorities for non-traditional space activities among federal agencies — such as on-orbit servicing, a capability that the Pentagon is hoping commercial industry can bring to the Space Force’s table — according to a senior Commerce Department official.