I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5346 

To amend title 51, United States Code, to provide for licenses and 

experimental permits for space support vehicles, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 20, 2018 

Mr. POSEY (for himself, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. BABIN, and Mr. LAWSON

of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 

A BILL 

To amend title 51, United States Code, to provide for licenses and experimental permits for space support vehicles, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Commercial Space 

5 Support Vehicle Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 Section 50902 of title 51, United States Code, is 

8 amended— 


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1 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (21) through 

2 (25) as paragraphs (23) through (27), respectively; 

3 and 

4 (2) by inserting after paragraph (20) the fol5 lowing: 

6 ‘‘(21) ‘space support flight’ means a flight 

7 in the air that is— 

8 ‘‘(A) not a launch or reentry; but 

9 ‘‘(B) related to launch or reentry serv10 ices. 

11 ‘‘(22) ‘space support vehicle’ means a vehi12 cle that is— 

13 ‘‘(A) a launch vehicle; 

14 ‘‘(B) a reentry vehicle; or 

15 ‘‘(C) a component of a launch or re16 entry vehicle.’’. 

17 SEC. 3. LICENSING OF SPACE SUPPORT FLIGHTS. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 50904 of title 51, United 

19 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol20 lowing: 

21 ‘‘(e) SPACE SUPPORT FLIGHTS.— 

22 ‘‘(1) The Secretary of Transportation may issue 

23 or transfer a license for multiple space support 

24 flights of a space support vehicle to a citizen of the 

25 United States, but only if such citizen holds an operVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:05 Mar 28, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5346.IH H5346

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1 ator license issued under this chapter for launch or 

2 reentry of such space support vehicle as, or included 

3 as a component of, a launch vehicle or reentry vehi4 cle. 

5 ‘‘(2) A licensee may only carry out a space sup6 port flight of a space support vehicle under a license 

7 for carrying a person or property for compensation 

8 or hire if such flight lands at the same site from 

9 which the vehicle took flight.’’. 

10 (b) LIMITATION ON WAVIER OF REQUIREMENTS.— 

11 Section 50905(b)(3) of title 51, United States Code, is 

12 amended by inserting ‘‘, or the operation of a space sup13 port vehicle,’’ after ‘‘or a reentry vehicle’’. 

14 SEC. 4. EXPERIMENTAL PERMITS FOR SPACE SUPPORT 

15 FLIGHTS. 

16 Section 50906 of title 51, United States Code, is 

17 amended— 

18 (1) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the 

19 following: 

20 ‘‘(d) The Secretary may issue a permit only for— 

21 ‘‘(1) reusable suborbital rockets or reusable 

22 launch vehicles that will be launched into a sub23 orbital trajectory or reentered under that permit 

24 solely for— 


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1 ‘‘(A) research and development to test de2 sign concepts, equipment, or operating tech3 niques; 

4 ‘‘(B) showing compliance with require5 ments as part of the process for obtaining a li6 cense for launch or reentry under this chapter; 

7 or 

8 ‘‘(C) crew training for a launch or reentry 

9 using the design of the rocket or vehicle for 

10 which the permit would be issued; or 

11 ‘‘(2) a space support vehicle, or a vehicle that 

12 is in development to become a space support vehicle, 

13 operated by a citizen of the United States for space 

14 support flights that will be conducted under the per15 mit for, or in support of, the purposes described in 

16 subparagraphs (A) through (C) of paragraph (1).’’; 

17 and 

18 (2) by striking subsection (h) and inserting the 

19 following: 

20 ‘‘(h) No person may, under a permit, operate a reus21 able suborbital rocket, reusable launch vehicle, or space 

22 support vehicle for carrying any property or human being 

23 for compensation or hire.’’. 


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1 SEC. 5. COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY. 

2 Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this 

3 Act shall be construed to limit the authority of the Sec4 retary of Transportation to discuss potential regulatory 

5 approaches, potential performance standards, or any other 

6 topic related to this Act and the amendments made by 

7 this Act with the commercial space industry prior to the 

8 issuance of a notice of proposed rulemaking. 

9 SEC. 6. APPLICABILITY. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this 

11 Act shall take effect on March 1, 2019. 

12 (b) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Transportation 

13 may issue such regulations as are necessary to carry out 

14 the amendments made by this Act beginning on the date 

15 of enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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