[SatNews] The Satellite Industry Association (SIA) applauds the release by the Departments of Defense, State, and Commerce of an interim report that assesses the national security impact of reforming United States export control policy for satellites.

Congress requested the Report in Section 1248 of the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act. The interim Section 1248 Report found that the national security risk of transferring commercial communications satellites to the Commerce Control List is manageable. The Report further recommended that “U.S. national security interests would be best served by vesting the President with the authority to develop flexible and timely responses” to technological changes.

“The result of careful and expert analysis, this interim Section 1248 Report highlights the need to reform our outmoded approach to regulating exports of satellite items,” said SIA President, Patricia Cooper. “Taken together with the National Space Policy and the National Security Space Strategy, the Section 1248 Report underscores the importance of satellite export control reform to ensure both U.S. national security and the satellite sector’s competitiveness. SIA and our members look forward to the release of the full Report this Fall and to our ongoing work with Congress and the Administration to advance its underlying recommendations.”



Satellites are the only industrial sector for which Congress has mandated export control policy through legislation. More than a decade ago, Congress passed legislation that required that all satellites, satellite components, associated technical data, and related ground equipment be traded as munitions. Since then, U.S. market share of satellite exports has seen a significant decline, prompting concerns by industry leaders and government officials alike about the impact of export control policies on the health of the underlying space industrial base supporting commercial, military and intelligence space sectors.