SIA Supports The American Space Commerce Act

Washington, D.C., May 13, 2020 – The Satellite Industry Association (SIA) today announced that it strongly supports the American Space Commerce Act (H.R. 6783). The proposed bipartisan legislation was introduced earlier this week by U.S. Representatives Bill Posey (R-Florida) and Charlie Crist (D-Florida) to help keep America first in space by providing an incentive for domestic space companies to keep investing in America and launching from American soil.

The American Space Commerce Act is meant to level the launch industry playing field by extending existing space launch tax incentives for an additional ten years for companies that launch their payloads from the United States.  This would free up more capital to allow American space companies to focus on the continued development of innovative new technologies while launching future space missions from the United States.

“Thanks to tremendous technological leaps in innovation, the commercial satellite industry is now more than ever relying on launch services providers to successfully deploy increasing numbers of satellites into earth orbit,” said Tom Stroup, President of the Satellite Industry Association.  “At the same time, American launch companies are facing a potential competitive disadvantage thanks to aggressive state-backed financing by certain countries such as China.  The American Space Commerce Act will help maintain a level playing field for domestic launch companies by continuing incentives for U.S. space companies to utilize American launch vehicles while still protecting domestic satellite jobs and innovation. Therefore, SIA strongly urges lawmakers to support the proposed legislation.”

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About The Satellite Industry Association

SIA is a U.S.-based trade association providing representation of the leading satellite operators, service providers, manufacturers, launch services providers, and ground equipment suppliers. For more than two decades, SIA has advocated on behalf of the U.S. satellite industry on policy, regulatory, and legislative issues affecting the satellite business. For more information, visit www.sia.org.

SIA Executive Members include: Amazon; AT&T Services, Inc.; The Boeing Company; EchoStar Corporation; Intelsat S.A.; Iridium Communications Inc.; Kratos Defense & Security Solutions; Ligado Networks; Lockheed Martin Corporation; ; SES Americom, Inc.; Space Exploration Technologies Corp.; Spire Global Inc.; and Viasat Inc. SIA Associate Members include: ABS US Corp.;  ; Amazon Web Services; Analytical Graphics, Inc.; Artel, LLC; Astranis Space Technologies Corp.; Blue Origin; Eutelsat America Corp.; ExoAnalytic Solutions; Globalstar, Inc.; HawkEye 360; Hughes; Inmarsat, Inc.; Kymeta Corporation; Leonardo DRS; Lynk; Omnispace; Satellites; Panasonic Avionics Corporation; Peraton; Planet; Telesat Canada; and XTAR, LLC. SIA Affiliate Members include: The Aerospace Corporation; AQYR Technologies; COMSAT; Envistacom, LLC; Integrasys LLC, Kaman Precision Products; Kencast; Media Broadcast Satellite; NB+C; ; Plexus Corp; Radeus Labs, Inc.; RUAG Space; Sheppard Mullin; Skylo Technologies; and Wiley