The U.S. Department of Commerce plays a significant role in the space industry through its Office of Space Commerce (OSC). The OSC is responsible for fostering the economic growth and technological advancement of the U.S. commercial space industry by coordinating policy, streamlining regulations, and providing space situational awareness services, including the development of the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS). The Department also works to promote U.S. space products and services internationally, supporting companies like SpaceX in securing contracts and modernizing space-related export controls through the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). Key partners include NASA, NOAA, and various international entities.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
Space Policy Directive 2 directs the Commerce Department to consolidate its various space responsibilities into a single "one-stop shop" office.
The Commerce Department plans to create a new office called the Space Policy Advancing Commercial Enterprise (SPACE) Administration to serve as a one-stop shop for commercial space regulatory issues.
Space Policy Directive 2 directs the Secretary of Commerce to provide a plan to create a one-stop shop within the Department of Commerce for administering and regulating commercial spaceflight activities.
NASA will work with the Secretary of Transportation to support launch licensing reform and with the Commerce Department on consolidation of other regulatory activity within the Office of Space Commerce.
A new U.S. national space traffic management policy announced by Vice President Mike Pence on 2018-04-16 assigns the Department of Commerce responsibility for providing collision warnings to civil and commercial satellite operators.
The February National Space Council recommendation called on the Department of Commerce to work with industry and the council to develop and advocate spectrum management policies to make U.S. space-related industries more competitive globally.