TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

SUPPORTING COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE REUSABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE MARKETS

WHEREAS, due to foreign government subsidized launch programs, over 80 percent of the funds spent last year on deploying commercial geosynchronous telecommunications satellites went overseas, principally to China, Russia, and France; and

WHEREAS, the commercial space transportation industry must have the support of the federal government in the form of loan guarantees in order to attract the investors in the commercial financial markets who will provide the enormous capital investment needed to produce the nation’s next generation of reusable launch vehicles; and

WHEREAS, several companies are vying to access space with improved reliability and are developing new reusable space vehicles capable of placing satellites in orbit at dramatically lower costs,

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors supports the commercial space transportation industry by encouraging members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to support federal loan guarantees for the commercialization of space access.