The U.S. Office of Space Commerce (OSC), operating within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which is part of the Department of Commerce, is the primary entity responsible for fostering the economic growth and technological advancement of the U.S. commercial space industry. Its key activities include policy advocacy, regulation of private remote sensing space systems, and the provision of space situational awareness services, notably through the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS). OSC works with various government agencies like NASA and international organizations such as ESA to promote U.S. space commerce and ensure compliance with regulations. The OSC aims to advance U.S. leadership in the global commercial space sector by removing regulatory barriers and promoting U.S. space products/services.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
The White House requested $11 million for the Office of Space Commerce for fiscal year 2027, which is an 80 percent cut from the fiscal year 2026 appropriation.
After White House approval, the Office of Space Commerce plans to launch an initial pilot phase focused on mature technologies nearing operational status.
Under the Space Commerce Certification framework, the Office of Space Commerce would act as a single clearinghouse and circulate one company application to the Department of War, the FAA, the FCC, the State Department, and NASA for review.
Office of Space Commerce Director Taylor Jordan testified before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s space subcommittee on July 15 about the Space Commerce Certification framework.
The Office of Space Commerce plans to start the certification process with an extended pilot phase focused on mature technologies and missions near operational status.
The Office of Space Commerce has spent more than six months outlining the Space Commerce Certification concept in public and soliciting industry feedback.
Under the proposed plan, the Office of Space Commerce would act as a central clearinghouse for novel in-orbit activities and circulate a single voluntary application to the Department of War, the FAA, the FCC, the State Department, and NASA for review.
The Office of Space Commerce released an updated mission authorization proposal built around the Space Commerce Certification concept for public review and comment on March 24.
The Office of Space Commerce’s proposed Space Commerce Certification is a framework for authorizing commercial space missions that fall outside existing licensing regimes.
Taylor Jordan serves as the Director of the Office of Space Commerce and NOAA’s Assistant Secretary for Environmental Observation and Prediction.
Under the proposal, the Office of Space Commerce would have 120 days to rule on a completed application, and applications would be automatically approved if the office took no action.
Taylor Jordan is the director of the Office of Space Commerce.
The Office of Space Commerce rolled out a proposal in March for a voluntary mission authorization system.
The proposed Space Commerce Certification would be issued by the Office of Space Commerce.
The Office of Space Commerce is waiting for White House approval before it can open applications for the mission authorization framework.
The Office of Space Commerce is working to create a one-stop licensing process for novel space missions using a single application while the office handles inter-agency coordination with other agencies including the Department of Defense.
The FY27 budget proposal included $11 million for the Office of Space Commerce and no dedicated funding to continue the Traffic Coordination System for Space.
The Office of Space Commerce is pursuing the Traffic Coordination System for Space alongside its mission authorization proposal.
The Office of Space Commerce proposed a framework for novel mission authorization in March.
The FY27 budget proposal cut the Office of Space Commerce budget by about 80% from the $52.5 million Congress enacted for FY26.