- Mission [1]
- The committee through its member representatives has supported the mission of the Department of Transportation and the Federal
Aviation Administration in providing the highest levels of safety during commercial launch operations and operations and commercial
(i.e. non-Federal) launch sites. From FY 2004-FY 2005, the U.S. commercial launch industry achieved significant milestones
and because of these milestones, supported and enhanced the agency's mission of enhancing international competitiveness in
the world commercial launch market. Examples of milestones are listed:April 1, 2004: FAA’s Associate Administrator for Commercial
Space Transportation issued the world’s first license for a sub-orbital manned rocket flight to Scaled Composites, LLC (Scaled)
of Mojave, California. April 21, 2004: FAA issued the second license for a sub-orbital manned rocket flight to XCOR Aerospace,
also of Mojave. June 17, 2004: FAA issued launch site operator license to the EFAA Kern Airport District (EKAD) to operate
a site for sub-orbital reusable launch vehicle missions, making EKAD the first inland launch site in the United States.September
29, 2004: Scaled Composites’ SpaceShipOne was successful in the first of two flights from the Mojave Airport required to win
the Ansari X Prize worth $10 million.October 4, 2004: Scaled was successful in the second required launch and flight of SpaceShipOne
to become the winner of the X Prize.May 2005-Strides in Space Tourism, including: Plans by two companies to develop a fleet
of rockets for space tourism; $2 million in ticket sales for planned suborbital flights.March 2005: Investments by the X Prize
Foundation and the state of New Mexico for the X Prize Cup events, an annual event to be held in New Mexico to help support
economic development.Currently, the Committee is working on training standards for private human spaceflight to be used for
each category of personnel involved in the preparation, launch, and reentry of a manned commercial space launch. The standards
that the Committee is developing will adhere to the provisions of FAA's Final Rule on Human Space Flight Requirements. The
Committee's annual market forecast also assists the FAA with keeping abreast of the domestic and international launch market.
2010 saw the FAA, Office of Commercial Space Transportation seeking COMSTAC input on a Concept of Operations for Orbital Debris
Management and an examination of the costs to industry of managing orbital debris.
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