The U.S. Commerce Department announced Thursday that it is easing restrictions on the export of space technology, responding to a years-long call from space companies to reform regulations governing international trade.
This is the most significant update to space-related export regulations in a decade and opens more opportunities for U.S. companies to sell their satellite hardware abroad.
“We are very excited about this rollout,” a senior trade official said on a background call with reporters. “It's been a long time coming, and I think it will be very meaningful for our national security and foreign policy interests and will certainly facilitate secure trade with our partners.”
Overdue reform
Among the changes will allow U.S. companies to export more products related to electro-optical and radar remote sensing, as well as space-based logistics, assembly or maintenance spacecraft destined for Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
“They are easing restrictions on some of the less sensitive space technologies and on spacecraft-related items headed to our closest allies such as Australia, Canada and Britain,” the senior trade official said. “These changes will provide relief. to American companies and they will increase innovation without compromising the critical technologies that keep our nation safe.”
A new update to Commerce Department regulations will increase licensing requirements for the export of “certain spacecraft components” to more than 40 allied countries, including NATO and European Union member states, Argentina, Australia, Canada, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico and New Zealand, delete. , Singapore, South Africa, South Korea and Taiwan. This will also lead to more license exceptions to support NASA's cooperative programs with other countries, officials said.
A third change, which has not yet been finalized and has yet to undergo a public comment period, proposes to transfer a space-related item: spacecraft that can dock, grapple and refuel in space, autonomous collision avoidance, and autonomous detection of ground probes . vehicles and aircraft – from the State Department's highly restrictive U.S. Munitions List to the more flexible Commerce Control List.
