Section 50922 - Regulations(a) IN GENERAL.-The Secretary of Transportation, within 9 months after the date of the enactment of this section, shall issue regulations to carry out this chapter that include-(1) guidelines for industry and State governments to obtain sufficient insurance coverage for potential damages to third parties;(3) procedures for requesting and obtaining operator licenses for launch;(4) procedures for requesting and obtaining launch site operator licenses; and(5) procedures for the application of government indemnification.(b) REENTRY.-The Secretary of Transportation, within 6 months after the date of the enactment of this section, shall issue a notice of proposed rulemaking to carry out this chapter that includes-(2) procedures for requesting and obtaining operator licenses for reentry; and(3) procedures for requesting and obtaining reentry site operator licenses.(c) AMENDMENTS.-(1) Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004, the Secretary shall publish proposed regulations to carry out that Act, including regulations relating to crew, space flight participants, and permits for launch or reentry of reusable suborbital rockets. Not later than 18 months after such date of enactment, the Secretary shall issue final regulations.(2)(A) Starting 3 years after the date of enactment of the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004, the Secretary may issue final regulations changing the definition of suborbital rocket under this chapter. No such regulation may take effect until 180 days after the Secretary has submitted the regulation to the Congress.(B) The Secretary may issue regulations under this paragraph only if the Secretary has determined that the definition in section 50902 does not describe, or will not continue to describe, all appropriate vehicles and only those vehicles. In making that determination, the Secretary shall take into account the evolving nature of the commercial space launch industry.(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.-(1) Licenses for the launch or reentry of launch vehicles or reentry vehicles with human beings on board and permits may be issued by the Secretary prior to the issuance of the regulations described in subsection (c).(2) As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004, the Secretary shall issue guidelines or advisory circulars to guide the implementation of that Act until regulations are issued.(3) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), no licenses for the launch or reentry of launch vehicles or reentry vehicles with human beings on board or permits may be issued starting three years after the date of enactment of the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004 unless the final regulations described in subsection (c) have been issued.Added Pub. L. 105-303, title I, §102(a)(16), Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2850, §70120 of title 49; amended Pub. L. 108-492, §2(c)(25), Dec. 23, 2004, 118 Stat. 3981; renumbered §70120 then §50922 of title 51 and amended Pub. L. 111-314, §4(d)(2), (3) (V), (5)(U), Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3440-3442.EDITORIAL NOTES
REFERENCES IN TEXTThe date of the enactment of this section, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 105-303 which was approved Oct. 28, 1998. The Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004, referred to in subsecs. (c) and (d), is Pub. L. 108-492, 118 Stat. 3974, which was approved Dec. 23, 2004. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 2004 Act note set out under section 10101 of this title and Tables.
AMENDMENTS2010- Pub. L. 111-314, §4(d)(2), (3) (V), successively renumbered section 70120 of title 49 and section 70120 of this title as this section.Subsec. (c)(2)(B). Pub. L. 111-314, §4(d)(5)(U), substituted "section 50902" for "section 70102".2004-Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 108-492 added subsecs. (c) and (d).
- State
- "State" means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, and a territory or possession of the United States.
- crew
- "crew" means any employee of a licensee or transferee, or of a contractor or subcontractor of a licensee or transferee, who performs activities in the course of that employment directly relating to the launch, reentry, or other operation of or in a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle that carries human beings.
- launch site
- "launch site" means the location on Earth from which a launch takes place (as defined in a license the Secretary issues or transfers under this chapter) and necessary facilities at that location.
- launch vehicle
- "launch vehicle" means-(A) a vehicle built to operate in, or place a payload or human beings in, outer space; and(B) a suborbital rocket.
- launch
- "launch" means to place or try to place a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle and any payload or human being from Earth-(A) in a suborbital trajectory;(B) in Earth orbit in outer space; or(C) otherwise in outer space,including activities involved in the preparation of a launch vehicle or payload for launch, when those activities take place at a launch site in the United States.
- reentry
- "reenter" and "reentry" mean to return or attempt to return, purposefully, a reentry vehicle and its payload or human beings, if any, from Earth orbit or from outer space to Earth.
- reenter
- "reenter" and "reentry" mean to return or attempt to return, purposefully, a reentry vehicle and its payload or human beings, if any, from Earth orbit or from outer space to Earth.
- reentry site
- "reentry site" means the location on Earth to which a reentry vehicle is intended to return (as defined in a license the Secretary issues or transfers under this chapter).
- reentry vehicle
- "reentry vehicle" means a vehicle designed to return from Earth orbit or outer space to Earth, or a reusable launch vehicle designed to return from Earth orbit or outer space to Earth, substantially intact.