Office of Space Commerce Picks Four Firms to Help Shape Commercial Mission Licensing

The Office of Space Commerce has selected Cowboy Space, Portal Space Systems, Redwire subsidiary SpaceMD, and Starcloud to join a pilot program aimed at improving how the office licenses novel commercial space activities. The selections, announced November 13, are intended to help the office refine its mission authorization and licensing processes for missions that do not fit existing frameworks.

The pilot grows out of an initiative the office announced during SATShow Week in March, when it set out to create a transparent pathway for companies to secure government approval for new and innovative commercial space missions. The four participants were chosen from more than 40 interested companies.

The office said it will work with the selected firms to refine the inaugural Space Commerce Certification form. That form is designed to give the U.S. government a clear picture of an applicant's proposed mission parameters and is intended to satisfy aspects of the licensing requirements for other space-regulating agencies.

The office intends to continue developing the application to certify different types of in-space activities, including in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing, orbital data centers, and lunar surface activity. It will also take public comment on the process.

Taylor Jordan, Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director of the Office of Space Commerce, said the response from industry had been strong. "I am excited to see the tremendous interest from our American space industry to help shape this process with their participation and collaboration. We are ready to get their innovative capabilities to 'yes,'" Jordan said.

The pilot addresses activities such as in-space manufacturing, servicing, and data centers, categories that have fallen outside established licensing structures. The effort signals how the office plans to authorize commercial missions that do not align with existing launch or remote-sensing regimes.

The office will continue developing the certification application to cover additional categories of in-space activity and will take public comment on the process.