This legislation, known as the "OUTPACE in Space Act," seeks to advance American space operations by bolstering the commercial space transportation and hypersonic industries. It emphasizes that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must ensure these industries have access to national airspace while upholding aviation safety and public health. The bill mandates the FAA to brief Congress on its plans to accommodate growing airspace needs, maintain air traffic operations, and implement existing law, including identifying necessary resources and legislative barriers. It also requires the FAA to issue a blanket waiver for certain reentry regulations and initiate a rulemaking process to update rules for overland launch and reentry operations within one year. Furthermore, the Secretary of Transportation is directed to prioritize the equitable and efficient integration of commercial space operations into the national airspace system, with the goal of significantly increasing the annual cadence of domestic launches and reentries. The FAA Administrator is also granted expedited hiring authority for specialized positions within the Office of Commercial Space Transportation to address staffing needs. Finally, the Act includes provisions for research security , prohibiting the Secretaries of Commerce and Transportation from engaging in commercial space research or development initiatives with specified entities of concern , foreign business entities, or foreign countries of concern.
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
OUTPACE in Space Act
USA119th CongressHR-8198| House
| Updated: 4/6/2026
This legislation, known as the "OUTPACE in Space Act," seeks to advance American space operations by bolstering the commercial space transportation and hypersonic industries. It emphasizes that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must ensure these industries have access to national airspace while upholding aviation safety and public health. The bill mandates the FAA to brief Congress on its plans to accommodate growing airspace needs, maintain air traffic operations, and implement existing law, including identifying necessary resources and legislative barriers. It also requires the FAA to issue a blanket waiver for certain reentry regulations and initiate a rulemaking process to update rules for overland launch and reentry operations within one year. Furthermore, the Secretary of Transportation is directed to prioritize the equitable and efficient integration of commercial space operations into the national airspace system, with the goal of significantly increasing the annual cadence of domestic launches and reentries. The FAA Administrator is also granted expedited hiring authority for specialized positions within the Office of Commercial Space Transportation to address staffing needs. Finally, the Act includes provisions for research security , prohibiting the Secretaries of Commerce and Transportation from engaging in commercial space research or development initiatives with specified entities of concern , foreign business entities, or foreign countries of concern.