Debate over the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation’s (AST) dual role of both promotion and oversight dominated House Transportation aviation subcommittee’s first hearing in seven years on commercial space.AST is one of the only federal agencies tasked with both promoting and regulating an industry. Michael Listner, principal with Space Law and Policy Solutions in New Hampshire, said the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), part of the Treasury Department, also has promotion and regulatory/oversight authority.Opponents of this dual role, like…
