In its latest effort to promote the commercial space industry,
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a notice
of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) introducing a potential
framework for licensing commercial in-space servicing, assembly and
manufacturing (ISAM) operations. The NPRM aligns with the White
House's
ISAM National Strategy released in April 2022 and the
FCC's
ISAM notice of inquiry released in August 2022.
The FCC asks for comment on proposed rules that ISAM industry
participants would have to follow to obtain licenses. To begin, the
proposed rules define an “ISAM space station” as:
A space station which has the primary purpose of conducting
in-space servicing, assembly, and/or manufacturing activities used
on-orbit, on the surface of celestial bodies, and/or in transit
between these regimes and which are supported by radiofrequency
operations. Servicing activities include but are not limited to
in-space inspection, life extension, repair,
