Space Issues May Take Smaller Policy Turns Under Rosenworcel, Biden
Expect some commercial space policy changes, but not dramatic ones, from President Joe Biden's White House and acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel's FCC, experts told us. Many see the FCC under Rosenworcel's interim leadership likely to act to advance the orbital debris Further NPRM. The FCC didn't comment.
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Administrations usually have consistent interests in space and don't typically do big turns from prior ones, said Victoria Samson, Secure World Foundation Washington office director, noting that a continued emphasis on trying not to overregulate commercial space activity will be likely. Satellite Industry Association President Tom Stroup said there will be better insight into the Biden administration's space policies once it names the head of the Commerce Department Office of Space Commerce.
Rosenworcel aides Ethan Lucarelli, David Strickland and Umair Javed (see 2101110070) have satellite expertise or experience. Rosenworcel largely agreed with then-Chairman Ajit Pai on space issues, so there shouldn't be a dramatic shift in policy, noted a satellite lawyer.
George Washington University Space Policy Institute Director Henry Hertzfeld doesn't expect cuts to space funding, but the Biden administration will put more emphasis on use of NASA and NOAA for climate change monitoring and measuring. Hertzfeld said it could take months to name the next NASA administrator. "It's not the most pressing priority," he said. Any changes to the regulatory framework governing commercial space activities will "be subtle."
The vice president is often an administration's space policy torchbearer, but Kamala Harris hasn't shown a particular interest in space, said Samson. Given more pressing issues like the COVID-19 pandemic, "space is not going to be [the White House's] first priority," she said.
Senate Commerce members asked space-related questions of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, so presumably they and likely the NASA administrator will be pro-commercial space, a commercial space consultant said. The Biden administration is likely to be less interested in regulatory reform and deregulation than the Trump administration, he said.
The FCC won't back away from licensing satellite constellations, though under Rosenworcel, it might put more emphasis on orbital debris mitigation as criteria for licensing, said a satellite executive. He said the agency also might look at higher speeds as a definition for broadband, which could hurt some operators, especially if the agency requires symmetrical capabilities for uploads and downloads.
Experts said one of the biggest looming questions is whether the Biden administration will continue the interagency National Space Council. It was dormant for close to a decade before being reconstituted in the Trump administration, but now Congress has appropriated it funds, noted an expert on executive branch space policy. SIA is urging continuation of the council and expects continuing support for commercial space, Stroup said. "No one dislikes it," and the council helped smooth interagency processes, Samson said. Rosenworcel wanted the FCC to have a seat on the council (see 1808100008).