BIS Sends Spacecraft Export Regulation Final Rule to OMB

Yesterday, the OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) announced that it had received a final rule from the DOC’s Bureau of Industry and Security on “Export Administration Regulations: Removal of License Requirements for Certain Spacecraft and Related Items for Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom”. There has been no notice of proposed rulemaking, so this final rule is probably an interim final rule.

This rulemaking was not listed in the Spring 2024 Unified Agenda.

This may have something to do with Reuters.com article from last month about intentions of SpaceX to land a Starship rocket off the coast of Australia. That article noted that:

“Discussions in recent weeks between SpaceX executives and U.S. and Australian officials have focused on regulatory hurdles in bringing a recovered Starship booster ashore in a foreign country, the sources said. Because the talks are ongoing, the timing of any Starship landing off Australia remained unclear.”

NOTE: The Reuters article was reported here, in a Short Takes – Space Geek Edition on July 29^th.