Synopsis
Here is a summary of the letter from the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) to the National Security Council (NSC) regarding the potential designation of space as critical infrastructure:
The AIA urges the NSC to consider the perspective of the U.S. space industry when evaluating whether to designate space as critical infrastructure. The AIA argues that space should be considered a domain rather than a sector, as many space capabilities already fall under existing critical infrastructure sectors. Adding an overlapping “space” sector would make cost-benefit analysis difficult.
Instead, the NSC should focus analysis on specific space capabilities to determine if they should be designated critical infrastructure. This would allow for a more robust cost-benefit evaluation.
The AIA cautions that designating space systems as critical infrastructure could adversely impact industry by opening the door to additional regulations without providing additional resources or funding to meet new requirements. This could disproportionately affect small businesses in the space sector.
Overall, the AIA aims to work with the NSC to ensure the security of U.S. space systems while avoiding unnecessary regulation that could negatively impact growth and innovation in the space industry. The AIA believes thoughtful analysis of specific space capabilities, rather than a broad “space” designation, is the best approach.
