Title: LAUNCHES Act
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Leveraging American Understanding of Next-generation Challenges Exploring Space Act or the LAUNCHES Act
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to facilitate access to specified broadband spectrum frequencies for commercial space launches and reentries.
Under current law, commercial missions launching from the United States to space must use government-owned spectrum to communicate with the rockets during launch, and private companies must apply to the FCC to receive special temporary authority to use such spectrum.
The bill requires the FCC to adopt service rules for access to specified frequencies for commercial space launches and reentries and to allocate such frequencies on a co-primary basis for such launches and reentries.
The FCC must also streamline the process for access authorizations, providing for (1) authorizations to access specified frequencies for multiple commercial space launches and reentries from one or more launch or reentry sites, (2) authorizations for multiple uses of such frequencies for a commercial space launch or reentry, (3) automation of the FCC's review process for access applications, and (4) improved coordination between the FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to increase the speed of review for such applications.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7021 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7021

 To facilitate access to electromagnetic spectrum for commercial space 
                launches and commercial space reentries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 26, 2020

 Mr. Soto (for himself and Mr. Flores) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To facilitate access to electromagnetic spectrum for commercial space 
                launches and commercial space reentries.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Leveraging American Understanding of 
Next-generation Challenges Exploring Space Act'' or the ``LAUNCHES 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ACCESS TO SPECTRUM FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCHES AND REENTRIES.

    (a) Service Rules; Allocation.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall--
                    (A) adopt service rules for access to the 
                frequencies described in subsection (c) for commercial 
                space launches and commercial space reentries, 
                including technical specifications, eligibility 
                requirements, and coordination procedures to preserve 
                the Nation's defense capabilities; and
                    (B) allocate on a co-primary basis the frequencies 
                described in subsection (c) for commercial space 
                launches and commercial space reentries.
            (2) Coordination with secretary of defense.--The 
        coordination procedures adopted under paragraph (1)(A) shall 
        include requirements for persons conducting commercial space 
        launches and commercial space reentries to coordinate with the 
        Secretary of Defense regarding access to the frequencies 
        described in subsection (c) for commercial space launches and 
        commercial space reentries.
    (b) Streamlining of Process for Granting Authorizations.--Not later 
than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission 
shall streamline the process for granting authorizations for access to 
the frequencies described in subsection (c) for commercial space 
launches and commercial space reentries to provide for--
            (1) authorizations that include access to such frequencies 
        for multiple commercial space launches from one or more space 
        launch sites and multiple commercial space reentries to one or 
        more reentry sites;
            (2) authorizations that include access to multiple uses of 
        such frequencies for a commercial space launch or commercial 
        space reentry;
            (3) automation of the processes of the Commission to review 
        applications for authorizations for access to such frequencies 
        for commercial space launches and commercial space reentries; 
        and
            (4) improved coordination by the Commission with the 
        Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and 
        Information (who shall coordinate with the Secretary of 
        Defense, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and 
        Space Administration, and the Administrator of the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) to increase the speed 
        of review of applications for authorizations for access to such 
        frequencies for commercial space launches and commercial space 
        reentries.
    (c) Frequencies Described.--The frequencies described in this 
subsection are the following:
            (1) The frequencies between 2025 megahertz and 2110 
        megahertz.
            (2) The frequencies between 2200 megahertz and 2290 
        megahertz.
            (3) The frequencies between 2360 megahertz and 2395 
        megahertz.
            (4) The frequencies between 5650 megahertz and 5925 
        megahertz.
    (d) Rule of Construction.--Each range of frequencies described in 
this section shall be construed to be inclusive of the upper and lower 
frequencies in the range.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Commercial space launch.--The term ``commercial space 
        launch'' means a launch licensed under chapter 509 of title 51, 
        United States Code.
            (2) Commercial space reentry.--The term ``commercial space 
        reentry'' means a reentry licensed under chapter 509 of title 
        51, United States Code.
            (3) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission.
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