LAUNCHES Act

Leveraging American Understanding of Next-generation Challenges Exploring Space Act or the LAUNCHES Act

This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to facilitate access to specified broadband spectrum frequencies for commercial space launches and reentries.

Under current law, commercial missions launching from the United States to space must use government-owned spectrum to communicate with the rockets during launch, and private companies must apply to the FCC to receive special temporary authority to use such spectrum.

The bill requires the FCC to adopt service rules for access to specified frequencies for commercial space launches and reentries and to allocate such frequencies on a co-primary basis for such launches and reentries.

The FCC must also streamline the process for access authorizations, providing for (1) authorizations to access specified frequencies for multiple commercial space launches and reentries from one or more launch or reentry sites, (2) authorizations for multiple uses of such frequencies for a commercial space launch or reentry, (3) automation of the FCC's review process for access applications, and (4) improved coordination between the FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to increase the speed of review for such applications.