FY23 Budget Proposes $87.7M for Office of Space Commerce
On March 28, 2022, the White House released the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget request for the Department of Commerce.
The President’s budget proposes $87.7 million for the Office of Space Commerce, a $77.7 million increase above the FY 2021 enacted level, to enable significant investment in standing up a civil, operational Space Situational Awareness (SSA) capability that meets the industry’s needs. It includes funding to build an operational Open Architecture Data Repository, continuing the work to transition from the current prototype to Initial Operating Capability by FY 2024. It also includes the funding to continue and expand commercial data acquisitions to operate the SSA capability.
View OSC budget overview at commerce.gov (PDF, page 6)
View detailed OSC budget justification at noaa.gov (PDF, page 894)
Along with the increase, the President’s budget seeks approval to elevate the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) from NESDIS to NOAA Headquarters, reporting directly to the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Observations and Prediction. The elevation of OSC within NOAA ensures the highest level of visibility, administrative oversight, and accountability.
View OSC reorganization proposal at noaa.gov (PDF, page 600)
The President’s budget also proposes $2 million in new funding for DOC’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) to provide new space economy statistics that systematically measure the impact of commercial space-related industries on the U.S. economic growth, employment, and incomes. These statistics will help stakeholders understand the growth of this field, and help the U.S. retain its competitive edge.