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 Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To amend title 51, United States Code, to provide for li-
censes and experimental permits for space support vehi-
cles, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Commercial Space 
Support Vehicle Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 50902 of title 51, United States Code, is 
amended— 
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(1) by redesignating paragraphs (21) through 
(25) as paragraphs (23) through (27), respectively; 
and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (20) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(21) ‘space support flight’ means a flight 
in the air that is— 
‘‘(A) not a launch or reentry; but 
‘‘(B) related to launch or reentry serv-
ices. 
‘‘(22) ‘space support vehicle’ means a vehi-
cle that is— 
‘‘(A) a launch vehicle; 
‘‘(B) a reentry vehicle; or 
‘‘(C) a component of a launch or re-
entry vehicle.’’. 
SEC. 3. LICENSING OF SPACE SUPPORT FLIGHTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 50904 of title 51, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(e) SPACE SUPPORT FLIGHTS.— 
‘‘(1) The Secretary of Transportation may issue 
or transfer a license for multiple space support 
flights of a space support vehicle to a citizen of the 
United States, but only if such citizen holds an oper-
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ator license issued under this chapter for launch or 
reentry of such space support vehicle as, or included 
as a component of, a launch vehicle or reentry vehi-
cle. 
‘‘(2) A licensee may only carry out a space sup-
port flight of a space support vehicle under a license 
for carrying a person or property for compensation 
or hire if such flight lands at the same site from 
which the vehicle took flight.’’. 
(b) LIMITATION ON WAVIER OF REQUIREMENTS.— 
Section 50905(b)(3) of title 51, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting ‘‘, or the operation of a space sup-
port vehicle,’’ after ‘‘or a reentry vehicle’’. 
SEC. 4. EXPERIMENTAL PERMITS FOR SPACE SUPPORT 
FLIGHTS. 
Section 50906 of title 51, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(d) The Secretary may issue a permit only for— 
‘‘(1) reusable suborbital rockets or reusable 
launch vehicles that will be launched into a sub-
orbital trajectory or reentered under that permit 
solely for— 
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‘‘(A) research and development to test de-
sign concepts, equipment, or operating tech-
niques; 
‘‘(B) showing compliance with require-
ments as part of the process for obtaining a li-
cense for launch or reentry under this chapter; 
or 
‘‘(C) crew training for a launch or reentry 
using the design of the rocket or vehicle for 
which the permit would be issued; or 
‘‘(2) a space support vehicle, or a vehicle that 
is in development to become a space support vehicle, 
operated by a citizen of the United States for space 
support flights that will be conducted under the per-
mit for, or in support of, the purposes described in 
subparagraphs (A) through (C) of paragraph (1).’’; 
and 
(2) by striking subsection (h) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(h) No person may, under a permit, operate a reus-
able suborbital rocket, reusable launch vehicle, or space 
support vehicle for carrying any property or human being 
for compensation or hire.’’. 
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SEC. 5. COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY. 
Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this 
Act shall be construed to limit the authority of the Sec-
retary of Transportation to discuss potential regulatory 
approaches, potential performance standards, or any other 
topic related to this Act and the amendments made by 
this Act with the commercial space industry prior to the 
issuance of a notice of proposed rulemaking. 
SEC. 6. APPLICABILITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this 
Act shall take effect on March 1, 2019. 
(b) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Transportation 
may issue such regulations as are necessary to carry out 
the amendments made by this Act beginning on the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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