Space Commerce Advisory Committee Act

The Space Commerce Advisory Committee Act mandates the establishment of a Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee by the Secretary of Commerce within 180 days of enactment. This Committee is designed to provide expert advice and recommendations to both the Secretary and Congress regarding the burgeoning field of nongovernmental space activities. Its overarching goal is to facilitate and promote a safe, sustainable, robust, competitive, and innovative commercial space sector within the jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce, including through the development of regulatory frameworks. The Committee will comprise 15 members appointed by the Secretary, drawn from diverse fields such as space policy, engineering, science, law, and finance, all possessing significant commercial space industry experience. While federal employees are generally excluded, special government employees serving on other advisory committees may be appointed. Members will serve terms of up to four years, with a two-year hiatus required before reappointment. Key duties of the Committee include identifying and responding to challenges faced by the U.S. commercial space sector. These challenges encompass issues like the application of international obligations, export controls, harmful interference with space activities, and ensuring adequate access to radio frequency spectrum. Furthermore, the Committee is tasked with reviewing existing best practices for U.S. entities to prevent the harmful contamination of celestial bodies and to mitigate adverse environmental changes on Earth resulting from extraterrestrial matter. The Committee is slated to terminate ten years after its establishment.