Novel Space Activities Face Regulatory Friction Points, Deloitte Says

Creating a mission authorization framework for novel space activities would be "an excellent start" to address friction points those novel activities face when seeking regulatory approval, Deloitte said Monday. Such a framework would likely include a single agency or set of agencies as the mission approval authority for new activities, it said. "But more is required to be truly agile," Deloitte added, advocating for nonbinding "soft law tools" such as guidelines or norms. It urged creating multi-stakeholder "mission owner" groups that could include regulators and the private sector, fostering collaboration and experimentation. It also called for a space industry "regulatory playbook" that helps companies understand the space industry sector and details getting started.