| Founded | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-profitTrade Association |
| Purpose | "To advocate for support and investment in the U.S. commercial space industry to unleash growth and ensure we maintain our leadership position in space to foster economic and national security.[1] |
| Location |
|
Area served | United States |
| Members | 85+ |
Key people | Dave Cavossa (President) |
| Website | commercialspace |
TheCommercial Space Federation is the leading trade association representing the commercial space industry in Washington, D.C. They serve as the industry's voice to the Executive and Legislative Branches of government, advocating for policies that support growth and innovation, and engaging with the media to promote the value of commercial space. CSF member companies come from all the key aspects of the commercial industrial base to include launch and reentry providers, commercial LEO services, remote sensing and analytics, satellite service providers, spaceports and infrastructure, commercial lunar and space exploration, space situational awareness, and space solar power.[2]
Issues that the Commercial Space Federation works on include, but are not limited to, airspace issues, FAA regulations and permits, industry safety standards, public outreach, and public advocacy for thecommercial space sector.[3][4]
In 2005,Peter Diamandis andJohn Gedmark from theX Prize Foundation convened a group of leaders in the emerging personal spaceflight industry, held at SpaceX's headquarters in El Segundo, California. Attendees at the meeting included SpaceX CEOElon Musk,Virgin Galactic's Alex Tai, aviation pioneerBurt Rutan, businessmanRobert Bigelow, and entrepreneurJohn Carmack.[5] The goal of what was then called thePersonal Spaceflight Federation was to "design and uphold the standards and processes necessary to ensure public safety and promote growth of the personal spaceflight industry."[6]
On August 22, 2006, the PSF laid out their priorities as:[7]
On June 15, 2008, the Personal Spaceflight Federation announced a new website and a new name—the Commercial Spaceflight Federation—to emphasize "the diverse business activities of the commercial human spaceflight industry."[8] The areas the CSF now represented include:
On August 10, 2009, CSF announced the creation of the Suborbital Applications Research Group (SARG).[9] On February 18, 2010, the CSF announced a new research and education affiliates program.[10]
United Launch Alliance joined in 2010,[11] followed byBoeing's membership in 2013,[12] but both left by 2014.[13] TheX Prize Foundation left by around 2016.[14]
CSF has hosted the CST Commercial Space Transportation Conference in partnership with the FAA since 2017.[15]
The Commercial Spaceflight Federation has two organizing committees as well as several working groups composed of their members and staff that are working to address the most pressing issues facing the industry. Participation in these committees is open to Executive and Associate members.[26]
TheLegislative Committee works to secure funding for civil space activities,NASA, theOffice of Space Commerce, and FAA'sOffice of Commercial Space Transportation (AST). Additionally, it seeks to work with congressional offices and committees to implement programmatic and language requests that establish and benefit programs that utilize commercial industry.
CSF'sRegulatory Committee collaborates to prepare information for and present a united position to regulators across the USG, ensuring that regulation does not needlessly hinder the advancement of the commercial space industry. To this end, the Regulatory Committee ensures that commercial perspectives are included in the regulation and standards development process to ensure the safety ofspaceflight participants and provide theFAA andFCC with means of compliance.
The Committee also works with industry experts from a variety of government agencies (including TheDepartments of State andCommerce) to promote modernization of Export Control policy and procedures in regards to the commercial space industry. The committee aims to assist American companies to remain competitive leaders in the global market and to advance innovation and technology overall. The committee also serves as a point of reference for adherence to current legislation and policy.
The Commercial Spaceflight Federation'sSpaceports Working Group focuses on a wide variety of issues facing thespaceport community including environmental, infrastructure, and regulatory topics, as well as seeking to encourage and fund programs to support spaceports.
CSF members are responsible for the creation of thousands of high-tech jobs.[27] Members include over 85 industry organizations involved in commercial spaceflight and private spaceflight, often referred to asnew space.[28]
There are four tiers of CSF membership, with each having different requirements and perks. The highest tier is Executive Membership, which is generally reserved for commercial spaceflight developers, operators, andspaceports.[29] Below Executive members are Associate Members, which is composed of suppliers supporting commercial spaceflight, with recent members including suppliers of mission support services and suppliers of training, medical andlife-support products and services. The third tier of membership is called Research and Education Affiliates (REM for short), and this tier is occupied byUniversities, educational and student nonprofits, and other research and education institutions. The fourth tier of CSF membership is the Patrons Program. This tier is distinct from the rest in the sense that it is composed of individuals rather than corporate entities.
Executive Membership is the highest level of membership offered at the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. At this level, members have an exclusive seat on the CSF Board of Directors.
(Updated November 30, 2024):[28]
The second highest tier,Associate members are invited to participate on CSF committees and working groups.
(Updated November 30, 2024):[28]
TheResearch and Education Affiliates is primarily for "Researchers, engineers, and educators."[10]
(Updated November 30, 2024):[28]
ThePatron Program is unique in that it allows for individual membership, unlike other membership categories, which are reserved for corporations, and organizations.[30]
TheSuborbital Applications Researchers Group (SARG) was created on August 10, 2009, to "increase awareness of commercial suborbital vehicles in the science and R&D communities, to work with policymakers to ensure that payloads can have easy access to these vehicles, and to further develop ideas for the uses of these vehicles for science, engineering, and education missions."[9]
| Member | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Michael Banish | University of Alabama in Huntsville |
| Steven Collicott | Purdue University |
| Marsh Cuttino | Orbital Medicine |
| Adrienne Dove | University of Central Florida |
| Steve Heck | The Arete STEM Project and Foundation |
| Anna-Lisa Paul | University of Florida |
| Bobby Russell | Questforstars |
| Mark Shelhamer | Johns Hopkins University |
| H. Todd Smith | JHU Applied Physics Laboratory |
| Constantine Tsang | Southwest Research Institute |
| Charlie Walker | Independent Consultant & Speaker |
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