McCarthy Introduces SOARS Act to Streamline Commercial Spaceflight Regs
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) introduced a bill yesterday to streamline the regulatory process for commercial suborbital and orbital spaceflight.
The Suborbital and Orbital Advancement and Regulatory Streamlining (SOARS) Act, H.R. 3038, is cosponsored by Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL).
McCarthy represents the district that includes the Mojave Air and Space Port, and the CEO and General Manager of that facility, Stu Witt, provided a statement supporting the bill. Space entrepreneurs Paul Allen and Sir Richard Branson also issued statements of support. Allen’s Stratolaunch and Branson’s Virgin Galactic both utilize the Mojave Air and Space Port.
McCarthy said he has “seen firsthand how the talented people of East Kern County have grown this industry through technological advancement, and this legislation will help ensure they are not hindered in creating jobs here locally.” He added that the bill promotes “safety and innovation by unifying regulatory oversight, allowing companies to test safety improvements rapidly, and providing new approaches to supporting launch and reentry activities.”
The bill was referred to the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.
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