Space Regulatory Reform Is a Wicked Problem Still Worth Tackling

Rapid growth in U.S. commercial space has yielded important benefits for civil and national security space capabilities. Continued commercial space growth and innovation depends in large part on further modernization of the policy and regulatory environment that enables and promotes those commercial activities. As a result, presidential administrations and Congress have grappled with reforming the space regulatory regime many times over the last few decades, with some major successes but also many remaining challenges. Considering the breadth of space regulatory issues in need of reformation, this chapter offers several recommendations for the next presidential administration in order to maintain the vibrant, innovative commercial sector that is a key advantage the United States possesses over every other space nation. 

Authors: Brian Weeden and Victoria Woodburn

This paper was published in Space Agenda 2025, an effort by the Center for Space Policy and Strategy (CSPS) at The Aerospace Corporation to highlight and provide insights into some of the major space challenges facing policymakers. You can read the entire list of Space Agenda 2025 papers here.