Final Comment: Space Modernization Letter of Support FCC
John Neal
Executive Director, Space Policy, Cyber, Space, and National Security Policy Division
Published
July 22, 2026
The Honorable Brendan Carr
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
45 L Street NE
Washington, DC 20554
Dear Chairman Carr,
On behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (“Chamber”) and its members, I write to express support for the Space Modernization Order ahead of the Commission's July 22 open meeting. The Chamber commends the Chairman and the full Commission for undertaking this important modernization of the U.S. satellite licensing framework.
The existing Part 25 regime was built for a different era. Today's commercial space sector demands a regulatory framework that can keep pace with large constellations, multi-orbit architectures, and accelerating innovation. The new Part 100 framework, with its modular, certification-based approach, delivers exactly that. Key provisions, including new licensing pathways for Vehicle-Type Space Station (VTSS) and Multi-Orbit Space Station (MOSS) missions, consolidated multi-orbit licensing, streamlined earth station registration, and standardized 20-year license terms, will meaningfully reduce processing times and regulatory costs for operators of all sizes.
The Chamber encourages the Commission to implement the new framework in a manner that remains technology neutral, competitively fair, and open to new entrants. The commercial space sector is evolving quickly, with innovation occurring across low Earth orbit, medium Earth orbit, geostationary orbit, hosted payloads, multi-orbit systems, and hybrid terrestrial-space networks. The Commission’s rules should preserve flexibility for these diverse models to compete on their merits.
The benefits of this modernization will extend well beyond satellite operators. A more competitive satellite marketplace supports the U.S. industrial base, which includes manufacturers, component suppliers, launch providers, software companies, data analytics firms, cybersecurity providers, and the many industries that increasingly depend on space-enabled connectivity and information services.
The Chamber looks forward to working with the Commission on implementation and stands ready to assist in communicating guidance to our members.
Respectfully,
John Neal
Vice President, Space Policy
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Final Comment: Space Modernization Letter of Support FCC
About the authors
John Neal
Benjamin Kron
Ben Kron serves as a Senior Manager of Cyber, Space and NatSec Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
