FAA announces new Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Wednesday that the New Mexico State University (NMSU) in Las Cruces was selected to lead the new Air Transportation Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation.

The new center is a partnership of academia, industry, and government. It was developed for the purpose of creating a world-class consortium that will address current and future challenges for commercial space transportation.

“The Obama Administration is committed to making sure the U.S. remains the world leader in space development and exploration. This new center will ensure that the commercial space community can meet our current and future space transportation needs,” U.S. Transport Secretary Ray LaHood said.

The United States government recently released its new National Space Policy which recognized opportunities and advancements in commercial space transportation and defines specific ways to take advantage of such capabilities.

“Commercial space flight is ready to play a greater role in the nation’s space program. Universities working with industry partners will fuel the research necessary to help keep us in the forefront of both technology and safety in space,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt.

The new Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation is expected to begin operating this month. The center will include four research and development areas: space launch operations and traffic management; launch vehicle systems, payloads, technologies, and operations; commercial human space flight; and space commerce (including space law, space insurance, space policy and space regulation).

The FAA agreed to enter into a 50-50 cost-sharing cooperative to establish the partnerships. The federal agency plans to invest at least $1 million per year during the first five years of the center’s operations.

NMSU Las Cruces will lead a team of colleges throughout the U.S. NMSU’s center will be the ninth center of excellence established by the FAA. The other centers focus on air cabin environment, noise and emissions mitigation, airport pavement technology, operations research, advanced materials, aircraft structures, airworthiness assurance, and general aviation.

The FAA is allowed to work with universities and their industry partners to conduct research in environment and aviation safety thanks to the FAA Research, Engineering and Development Authorization Act of 1990.

The Congress authorized the legislation that included the establishment of the centers of excellence and other activities to assure a safe and efficient air transportation system. The NMSU center’s research will extend to cutting-edge technologies and infrastructure for private human spaceflight and orbital debris mitigation.

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