ATC for space activity? - Curt Lewis

Might the FAA Inherit the Space Traffic Management Role?

"We keep hearing [the Air Force] shouldn't be the FAA for space," says Rep. Jim Bridenstine. "Which says to me, maybe the FAA should be the FAA for space." Credit: SpaceNews graphic

WASHINGTON - The White House and members of U.S. Congress are in early discussions about how to give the Federal Aviation Administration a greater role in monitoring the space environment and heading off collisions between commercial satellites, a task currently handled by the U.S. Air Force, sources tell SpaceNews.

The discussion has a sense of urgency, sources said, as several new businesses, many with ties to Silicon Valley, have plans to launch hundreds of satellites in the coming years. With that in mind, proponents are asking Congress to move quickly to find a new home for space traffic management.