Agency to Host 7th Annual Commercial Space Transportation
Conference
FAA
Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation
Patricia Grace Smith has announced the Seventh Annual FAA
Commercial Space Transportation Conference on Feb. 10 and 11
at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington DC.
This year’s event will focus on FAA efforts to help
facilitate the first privately-launched manned space flight within
the year. The conference also celebrates the 20th anniversary of
the Commercial Space Transportation Office at the Department of
Transportation (DOT).
On Tuesday, Feb. 10, Grace will provide opening remarks at 9
a.m. and DOT Undersecretary for Policy Jeff Shane will be the
keynote speaker at 9:15 a.m. At 12 noon, the Department of
Defense Director of Research and Engineering and former astronaut
Ronald Sega will give the luncheon address.
Rep. Tom Feeney, R-FL, will be the featured speaker at 2:30
p.m. Feeney is a member of the House Committee on
Science Subcommittee on Aeronautics and Space and his district
encompasses the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, FL.
Panels throughout the first day will provide views from space
transportation experts in the government and private sector who
will focus on the history of commercial space transportation, new
developments in propulsion, environmental streamlining in the
industry, and system safety.
Day Two features remarks by Elon Musk, founder and chief
executive officer of Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX)
at 8 a.m. The company is developing a low-cost expendable launch
vehicle. Expert panelists on Feb. 11 will also focus on the
emerging sub-orbital market, reusable launch vehicle operations and
maintenance issues, as well as the future of commercial space
transportation.
Prior to 1989, no commercial space
transportation industry existed and the United States only launched
commercial satellites on vehicles operated by the government.
Various events in the 1980s led to development of the
nation’s private space industry and by 2000 it accounted for
more than $60 billion in economic activity.
Established at the DOT in 1984, the Office of Commercial Space
Transportation was given the responsibility for regulating all
private launches and space vehicles in the United States. The
office was moved to the FAA in 1996.
The United States, Russia and most recently China are the only
nations to have successfully launched individuals into space and
returned them to earth.
All these projects have been entirely government-based
operations. All other commercial/privately launched space
vehicles in existence are expendable non-manned vehicles that are
capable of one-way trips to space.