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.
To implement these reforms, the administration elevated the Office of Space Commerce to the Commerce Secretary’s office.
LeoLabs secured a joint contract from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Space Force on September 30, 2025.
LeoLabs will feed its Object Catalog data into the U.S. Space Force’s Unified Data Library and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Traffic Coordination System for Space.
This contract marks the first time the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Space Force collaborated to simultaneously license a commercial object catalog.
The Commerce Control List, managed by the Department of Commerce, covers commercial products with potential dual use not inherently related to defense.
The U.S. Department of Commerce is developing the Space Traffic Management system (TraCSS) to track space objects and avoid collision risks.
The US Commerce Department is developing a system called the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) to track spacecraft in orbit.
NASA will lead development of the cislunar reference system while working with the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Interior, State, and Transportation.
The action plan directs NASA, the Defense Department, and the Commerce Department to jointly develop an integrated cislunar object catalog.
The Biden Administration furthered space policies including transferring more space tracking duties from the Pentagon to the Department of Commerce.
On 2024-11-25, Rocket Lab finalized a $23,900,000 award from the U.S. Department of Commerce to increase its compound semiconductor manufacturing capability and capacity at its Albuquerque, New Mexico facility.
An interim final Commerce Department rule reduces license requirements for defined “less sensitive” items to 40 countries, primarily NATO and European Union members and allies including Australia, Japan, and South Korea.
On 2024-10-17 the U.S. Commerce Department published three rules and the State Department published a related rule offering phased changes to U.S. export control regulations for space technologies.
The Commerce Department announced the publication of three rules on October 17 to modify export control regulations.
Only SAR systems operating at 500 MHz or less bandwidth qualify for the relaxed Commerce Department rules.
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced changes to export control rules for space technologies on October 17.
Space Policy Directive 3 instructed the Commerce Department to take over space traffic management services in June 2018.
LeoLabs’ customer base for first-half 2024 contract wins includes the U.S. Space Force and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Rocket Lab signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) with the U.S. Commerce Department that would allow the company to receive up to $23,900,000 in funding from the CHIPS and Science Act.
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) with the U.S. Department of Commerce on 2024-06-11 in Albuquerque, New Mexico to receive up to $23,900,000 in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act.