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PARIS
� U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael P. Huerta
and French National Space Agency (CNES) President Jean-Yves Le Gall have signed
a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) to cooperate on research and development related
to the safety of private sector orbital space launches and re-entry
activities. The research-related, non-binding
arrangement between France and the United States is the first of its kind covering
research into commercial orbital space operations. �This
Memorandum of Cooperation will enhance domestically and internationally the
quality, objectivity, and utility of methods designed to ensure the protection
of public health and safety related to commercial space transportation,� said
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx. �Both France and the United
States can achieve these goals through the exchange of information on programs
and projects of mutual interest, carrying out joint analyses, and coordination
of research activities relating to safety and the environment.� The
FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation is in charge of regulating
and overseeing the safety of the U.S. commercial space transportation
industry. Today�s arrangement is
strictly related to current activities that both the French and United States
governments are involved with relating to orbital launches and spacecraft re-entries. �This
non-binding arrangement spells out our intentions to cooperate in research and
development activities on the safety of commercial space launches and
re-entries,� said Huerta. �The primary
focus of this new partnership is to understand each other�s safety regulations
and to evaluate safety techniques for the launch and/or re-entry of commercial
space vehicles.� Both
Huerta and Le Gall pointed out that today�s Memorandum of Cooperation could
pave the way for development of future arrangements between the FAA and France
related to the regulation of suborbital reusable vehicles that can carry people
and the operation of launch sites known as spaceports. The U.S. suborbital space industry has
indicated potential human space flights may occur as early as 2016, and is
currently evaluating locations outside the United States. For example, some private launch providers
have expressed interest in conducting launches in Europe and the Caribbean. The FAA has the authority to license launches
outside of the United States when the vehicles are operated by U.S. companies. The
FAA also has non-binding arrangements or exchanges of letters with Curacao,
Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom that covered FAA assistance with
development of domestic regulations relating to commercial space
transportation. Since
1989, the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation has licensed more than
240 launches. Over the last several
years, the FAA has been working with the private sector regarding the agency�s
licensing and oversight of launches and re-entries involving spaceflight
participants. A fact sheet
is available on FAA�s oversight and regulation of U.S. commercial space
transportation.
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