Page images
PDF
EPUB

Y4. C73/7: 5. hrg. 98-1105

COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH ACT

S. HRG. 98-1105

HEARING

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SPACE

OF THE

STANFORD
LIBRARIES

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
UNITED STATES SENATE

NINETY-EIGHTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

ON

S. 2931

TO FACILITATE CERTAIN SPACE LAUNCHES, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

P20-57

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

BARRY GOLDWATER, Arizona
JOHN C. DANFORTH, Missouri
NANCY LANDON KASSEBAUM, Kansas
LARRY PRESSLER, South Dakota
SLADE GORTON, Washington
TED STEVENS, Alaska

BOB KASTEN, Wisconsin

PAUL S. TRIBLE, JR., Virginia

ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina
RUSSELL B. LONG, Louisiana
DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii
WENDELL H. FORD, Kentucky
DONALD W. RIEGLE, JR., Michigan
J. JAMES EXON, Nebraska
HOWELL HEFLIN, Alabama

FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey

GERALD J. KOVACH, Chief Counsel
RALPH B. EVERETT, Minority General Counsel

SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SPACE

SLADE GORTON, Washington, Chairman

BARRY GOLDWATER, Arizona
NANCY LANDON KASSEBAUM, Kansas
PAUL S. TRIBLE, JR., Virginia

HOWELL HEFLIN, Alabama
DONALD W. RIEGLE, JR., Michigan
FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

Dorn, Jennifer, Director, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, Department of Transportation..

Prepared statement

Gillam, Isaac T., IV, Assistant Associate Administrator for Customer Rela-
tions and Policy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, accompa-
nied by L.J. Evans, Jr., Assistant to the Associate Deputy Administrator for
Commercialization

Questions of Senator Gorton and the answers thereto.
Questions of Senator Trible and the answers thereto..
Questions of Senator Heflin and the answers thereto
Prepared statement of Mr. Evans.......

............

.................................

Questions of Senator Gorton and the answers thereto
Question of Senator Trible and the answer thereto....................
Questions of Senator Heflin and the answers

Rector, William F., III, division vice president, space programs, General Dy-
namics, Convair Division; and Donald K. Slayton, president, Space Services
Inc.

Whiting, Fred, executive director, American Space Foundation.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH ACT

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1984

U.S. SENATE,

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION,
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SPACE,

Washington, DC.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:30 a.m., in room SR-253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Slade Gorton (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Staff members assigned to this hearing: Pete Perkins, professional staff member and Marty Kress, minority professional staff

member.

OPENING STATEMENT BY SENATOR GORTON

Senator GORTON. Welcome to this hearing of the Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space.

Today we will consider several initiatives designed to develop the commercial potential of space through increased private sector investments and involvement. The primary focus of this hearing is S. 2931 which has been introduced by my committee colleague, Senator Trible. This legislation seeks to facilitate private sector space launch activity by establishing the Department of Transportation as the lead Federal agency with licensing authority over private expandable launch vehicle operations and by providing a framework within which this new industry can most effectively operate. With the Federal Government's decision to phase out of expandable launch vehicle operations, an opportunity has been created for the private sector to enter into this segment of space activity. This committee agrees with the administration that it is appropriate to assist this infant industry by streamlining the process by which the Federal Government licenses commercial space launch operations, but the licensing of the first two commercial space launches in 1982 and again last month, demonstrated that the presently employed licensing process is unwieldy and burdensome. The committee hopes that the legislation before us will assist the Department of Transportation in its efforts to negotiate the maze of regulations that must be satisifed for a commercial space launch for launch applicants.

While the degree of success that this industry ultimately achieves will largely be a function of the marketplace, this committee believes that the Federal Government has a role to play in removing unnecessary institutional barriers, thereby creating a more favorable investment and operational climate. It is in this spirit

« PreviousContinue »