In a virtual meeting of the FAA's Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) on November 8, Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg proposed that the launch industry should play a role in funding additional resources for the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST). This comes in response to calls from industry witnesses, including SpaceX's Bill Gerstenmaier, to significantly increase the budget of AST to handle the rising levels of launch activity.
Trottenberg, while acknowledging the need for increased resources in AST, highlighted competing priorities within the FAA and suggested that industry could contribute to the additional revenues required for enhancing AST. She emphasized that her opinion was personal and not reflective of the department itself.
The FAA, facing budget constraints, has not traditionally collected user fees for launch licensing, a practice common in aviation. Trottenberg noted tensions between the launch industry and commercial aviation regarding airspace access and suggested that it might be time for the industry to contribute to solving AST's funding challenges.
The discussions also touched on the FAA's overall budget, with Trottenberg pointing out the relatively small size of the AST budget compared to the FAA's overall budget. The FAA has requested $19.8 billion for fiscal year 2024, with $42 million allocated to AST.
The meeting addressed concerns about the Part 450 licensing regime for commercial launches, with some companies experiencing delays. Michael O'Donnell, Deputy Associate Administrator of Commercial Space Transportation at the FAA, defended the process, stating that future evaluations under Part 450 would be completed in a timely manner. However, COMSTAC members, including industry consultant Caryn Schenewerk, expressed concerns about potential hindrances for new entrants and their impact on competition among providers.
As the FAA grapples with budgetary challenges and regulatory complexities, the role of the launch industry in supporting AST's operations has become a focal point of discussion among key stakeholders.