Space Law Documents in the United States

United States Law and Policies: Introduction

• The emergence of national space law legislation (see below)
• United States space policies
• Report on U.S. space policy, by the International Security Advisory
  Board
• United States space regulation: satellite communications, export controls, remote sensing and commercial space launches
• The growth of space law through the cases

The emergence of national space law legislation

• Introduction
• Federal space agencies
• National space policies
• Registration requirements
• Licensing requirements
• Operational restrictions
• License suspension and revocation
• Liability
• Insurance

International Space Law Basic Legal Documents

See the entry about the Space Law Documents and the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in the World legal Encyclopedia.

United States Space Law Basic Legal Documents

UNITED STATES—DOCUMENTS: EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND WHITE HOUSE
POLICIES

• Advancing the frontiers of space exploration: a robust and balanced
  program of space exploration and scientific discovery
• Executive Orders and White House Policies (2004-2005)
• Executive Orders and White House Policies (2006)

Documents: Public Laws, In General

• The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 Pub. L. 85-568, As Amended through Pub. L. 106-391, 114 Stat. 1577 (October 30, 2000)
• NASA Advisory Implementing Instruction, August 15, 2008 NASA Policy Directive: Authority to Enter into Space Act Agreements, December 23, 2008
• NASA, Office of Safety and Mission Assurance: Procedural Requirements for Limiting Orbital Debris, February 19, 2008
• NASA Technical Standard: Process for Limiting Orbital Debris, September 14, 2009
• US Government Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices

Documents: Public Laws 1934-1966

• Communications Act of 1934, As Amended to 1997 [47 U.S.C. 214, 301, 308, 309, 319]
• Crimes and Criminal Procedure Act of 1948, As Amended to 1998 [18 U.S.C. §§ 7, 921-929]
• Uniform Code of Military Justice, June 25, 1959, As Amended to 1996 [10 U.S.C. §§ 802, 2733-2734b]

Documents: Public Laws 1976-1988

• National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976, As Amended to 1982 (Pub. L. 94-282, May 11, 1976) [42 U.S.C. §§ 6601–6602, 6611–6618, 6631–6635, 6651, 6671]
• International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976, As Amended to 2000 (Pub. L. 94-329, June 30, 1976) [22 U.S.C. §§ 2751-52, 2778]
• Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 1978 As Amended to 2000 (Pub. L. 95-426, October 7, 1978) [22 U.S.C. §§ 2656a-2656i]
• International Security and Development Cooperation Act of 1980, As Amended to 1993 (Pub. L. 96-72, September 27, 1979) [50 U.S.C. § 2401]
• An Act to Amend the Patent and Trademark Laws of 1980, as Amended to 2000 (Pub. L. 96-517, December 12, 1980) [35 U.S.C. 200-211]

Documents: Public Laws 1990-2000

• Launch Services Purchase Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-611, November 16, 1990)
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Authorization Act of 1992 (Pub. L. 102-567; 106 Stat. 4270, October 29, 1992)
• Department of Veteran’s A airs and Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (Pub. L. 105-276; 112 Stat. 2513, October 21, 1998)
• Commercial Space Act of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-303; 112 Stat. 2843, October 28, 1998)
• Federal Reports Elimination Act of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-362; 112 Stat. 3280, November 10, 1998)
• Department of Veteran’s A airs and Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 (Pub. L. 106-74; 113 Stat. 1047, October 20, 1999)
• Intellectual Property and Communications Omnibus Reform Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-113; 113 Stat. 1501, 29 November, 1999)
• Commercial Space Transportation Competitiveness Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-405; 114 Stat. 1751, November 1, 2000)

Documents: Public Laws 2004-PRESENT

• Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004, Public Law 108-492, 108th Congress, 2nd Session, H.R. 5382; 108 H.R. 5382, December 23, 2004
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005, Public Law 109-155, Dec. 30, 2005
• Conference Report 109-354, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Act of 2005 [Public Law 109-555, Dec. 30, 2005] December 16, 2005
• Enactment of Title 51 National and Commercial Space Programs, Public Law 111-314 (Dec. 18, 2010)

United States Documents: United States Code

I. SPACE PROGRAMS

• 10 U.S.C. Sec. 2274

II. SPACE LAUNCH

• 10 U.S.C. Secs. 2431, 2692
• 15 U.S.C. Sec. 5801
• 22 U.S.C. Secs. 2776, 2778, 2797
• 42 U.S.C. Secs. 2451, 2466, 2475a, 4332
• 49 U.S.C. Secs. 70101-70121

SPACE SHUTTLE

• 5 U.S.C. Sec. 3301
• 42 U.S.C. Secs. 2451-2452, 2458b, 2464, 2464a, 2465a, 2465f, 2466c,
  2467a, 2476b, 14731, 14733

SATELLITE TELECOMMUNICATIONS

• 10 U.S.C. Sec. 2281
• 47 U.S.C. Secs. 701, 751-757, 765g

REMOTE SENSING

• 7 U.S.C. Secs. 5852, 5935, 7623
• 10 U.S.C. Sec. 467
• 15 U.S.C. Secs. 313, 1511d, 1517, 5601-5602, 5611-5615, 5621-
  5625, 5631, 5655-5658, 5671-5672
• 16 U.S.C. Secs. 1642, 6401
• 23 U.S.C. Sec. 502
• 33 U.S.C. Sec. 883j
• 42 U.S.C. Secs. 2451, 4101, 5195, 14715
• 43 U.S.C. Sec. 1457 49 U.S.C. Secs. 70101, 70117

INVENTIONS IN OUTER SPACE

• 26 U.S.C. Sec. 863(d) 35 U.S.C. Sec. 105

United States Documents: Federal Register

• Final Rule: Licensing and Safety Requirements for Operation of a
  Launch Site [65 Federal Register 62812], October 19, 2000
• Interim Final Rule: Code of Conduct for the International Space
  Station Crew [65 Federal Register 80302], December 21, 2000
• Final Rule: Licensing of Private Land Remote-Sensing Space
  Systems [71 Federal Register 24474], April 25, 2006
• Final FAA Approval for a Program to License Three Horizontal
  Launch Vehicle Concepts, Reentries of Reentry Vehicles and
  Their Support Facilities [71FR 27772], May 12, 2006
• Final Rule on Licensing and Safety Requirements for Launch [71
  FR 50508], August 25, 2006
• Final Rule: Miscellaneous Changes to Commercial Space
  Transportation Regulations [71 Federal Register 51968]; August 31, 2006
• Final Rule: Code of Conduct for the International Space Station
  Crew [71 Federal Register 56006]; September 26, 2006
• Final Rule on Human Space Flight Requirements for Crew and
  Space Flight Participants [71 FR 75616]; December 15, 2006
• Final Rule: Human Space Flight Requirements for Crew and
  Space Flight Participants [72 Federal Register 7740]; February 20, 2007
• Final Rule on Experimental Permits for Reusable Suborbital
  Rockets [72 FR 17001], April 6, 2007
• Final Rule on the Establishment of Policies and Service Rules for
  the Broadcasting-Satellite Service, August 29, 2007
• Final Rule on the Establishment of Policies and Service Rules for
  the Broadcasting-Satellite Service, October 24, 2007
• Final Rule: Cross-waiver of Liability
• Proposed Rules on Cross Waiver of Liability Clauses (May 5, 2011)
• Final Rule: Requirements for Amateur Rocket Activities [73
  Federal Register 73768]
• Launch Safety: Lightning Criteria for Expendable Launch
  Vehicles, 14 C.F.R. part 417 (June 8, 2011)

Agency Materials

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

• Department of Commerce: Introduction to U.S. Export Controls for
  the Commercial Space Industry

DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION

• Intellectual Property and the International Space Station: Creation, Use, Transfer, and Ownership and Protection, September 1999 Federal Register Notices, Department of Transportation (DOT): Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Record of Decision, 66 FR 52171 (Oct. 12, 2001)
• Chapter IX Commercial Space Transportation
• Commercial Space Transportation Licensing Regulations
• FAA: Guide to Reusable Launch & Reentry Vehicle Reliability
  Analysis
• FAA: Guidelines for Experimental Permits for Reusable Suborbital
  Rockets, May 2005
• FAA: Guide to Reusable Launch Vehicle Safety Validation and Verification Planning, Version 1.0, September, 2003
• FAA: Guide to Verifying Safety-Critical Structure for Reusable Launch and Reentry Vehicles, Version 1.0, November, 2005
• FAA: Guide to Commercial Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance, Version 1.0, March, 2005
• FAA: Guidelines for Compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and Related Environmental Review Statutes for the Licensing of Commercial Launches and Launch Sites, Version 1.0, February 21, 2001
• FAA: Guide to Probability of Failure Analysis for New Expendable Launch Vehicles, Version 1.0, November, 2005
• AIAA: Guide to the Identification of Safety-Critical Hardware Items for Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Developers, May 1, 2005
• Point-to-Point Commercial Space Transportation in National Aviation System: Final Report (Mar. 10, 2010)
• Final Environmental Assessment for Issuing an Experimental Permit to SpaceX for Operation of the Grasshopper Vehicle at the McGregor Test Site, Texas (Nov. 2011)
• Final Environmental Assessment for the Launch and Reentry of
  SpaceShipTwo Reusable Suborbital Rockets at the Mojave Air and Space Port (May 2012)