What does Preamble of OUTPACE in Space Act do?

This bill is formally titled 'To amend title 51, United States Code, to advance American space operations, and for other purposes.'

What does SHORT TITLE. of OUTPACE in Space Act do?

This bill is formally titled the "Optimizing United States Technology to Preempt Adversarial Communist Expansion in Space Act" or the "OUTPACE in Space Act".

What does STRENGTHENING LAUNCH AND REENTRY. of OUTPACE in Space Act do?

This section focuses on strengthening launch and reentry operations for the commercial space transportation and hypersonic industries. The FAA Administrator is required to brief Congress within 60 days of enactment on plans to meet airspace needs, maintain air traffic operations, and implement a specific provision of the FAA Reauthorization Act. The Administrator must estimate resource needs and identify legislative barriers to ensure sufficient airspace access. The Administrator is directed to issue a blanket waiver of 450.101(c) for reentry vehicles and initiate a rulemaking process to update regulations related to risk considerations for overland launch and reentry operations. The Secretary of Transportation is tasked with maximizing the use of performance-based requirements and issuing advisory circulars to enable high cadence launch and reentry operations. The Secretary of Transportation must prioritize equitable and efficient integration of commercial space operations into the national airspace system and report on planned actions and resources to increase launch and reentry cadence. The FAA Administrator is granted expedited hiring authority to appoint qualified candidates with specialized aerospace knowledge, bypassing standard competitive service requirements.

What does RESEARCH SECURITY. of OUTPACE in Space Act do?

This section restricts the Secretaries of Commerce and Transportation from conducting research or development initiatives related to commercial space activities with entities of concern, foreign business entities, or foreign countries of concern. The term 'entity of concern' is defined by section 10114 of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act. A 'foreign business entity' is defined as an entity organized under, or subject to, the laws of a foreign country of concern, or owned or controlled by a governmental organization of a foreign country of concern. The term 'foreign country of concern' is defined by section 9901 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.

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OUTPACE in Space Act

Last updated: 4/6/2026 · Introduced: 4/6/2026

Author: Vince Fong (R-CA)

TL;DR (AI)

The bill directs the FAA to streamline launch and reentry operations by issuing waivers, updating regulations, and prioritizing airspace access for commercial space activities.
It restricts U.S. government agencies from collaborating on space-related research and development with entities or countries identified as posing a security risk.
The bill grants the FAA expedited hiring authority to recruit specialized aerospace professionals to support increased space operations.

119th Congressin committeeOfficial page

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Other Sections

Includes provisions on preamble, short title., and 2 more.

4 sections

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