**************************************************
  *       ProSpace Legislative ACTION Alert        *
  *            Alert No. 97-8, 6/23/97             *
  **************************************************
  *   Commercial Space Bill goes to House floor    *
  *      Co-Sponsors needed for upcoming Vote      *
  **************************************************
  *  Distribute to ALL Lists -- Post to ALL Sites  *
  **************************************************

      ****************************************
      *     To be ADDED to this List, or     *
      *     to be REMOVED from this List     *
      * send a request to SpFrontier@aol.com *
      ****************************************

  ************************************************
  *             TABLE OF CONTENTS                *
  *                                              *
  * 1) Commercial Space Act Passes Committee     *
  * 2) Action Needed:                            *
  *    -> Create a CHAMPION of Commercial Space  *
  *                                              *
  * Appendix:                                    *
  *    A) Summary, Commercial Space Act of 1997  *
  ************************************************
  *       World Wide Web: www.prospace.org       *
  ************************************************


************************************************
1) Commercial Space Act of 1997 Passes Committee
************************************************

On Wednesday, June 18, the House Committee on Science 
UNANIMOUSLY approved H.R. 1702, the "Commercial Space 
Act of 1997" with minor technical amendments.  
Introduced less than 30 days before, the bill will go 
to the floor of the full House of Representatives, and
is on track for a July vote. If passed, the bill must
be approved by the U.S. Senate before it can go to the
President for his signature.

Hints of future trouble for the Commercial Space Act 
appeared during the Science Committee markup session.
Some federal agencies expressed concerns about 
technical language in the bill, while evidence of 
political turf battles between federal agencies has
appeared.

Science Committee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) 
offered an amendment which passed unanimously that 
includes modifications to the bill requested by the 
White House.  The Chairman offered to make additional 
changes in bill language to reflect legitimate concerns
of the Administration, but strongly opposed additions 
"to accommodate bureaucratic turf battles."  Congressman
Dave Weldon (R-FL) also offered an amendment, which was
adopted, to require NASA to consider state contributions
when completing reports mandated in the bill.

Congressman George Brown (D-CA), Senior Minority Member,
stated his desire to get White House support for the 
bill.  He joined Sensenbrenner in condemning the 
"bureaucratic turf battles" and pledged his support 
for resolving any remaining issues.  Brown then 
predicted that another amendment with "useful 
improvements" would be offered when the bill came to 
the floor.

A summary of the provisions of the Commercial Space 
Act of 1997 are below. If you want to get the text of 
H.R. 1702, visit ProSpace's website at www.prospace.org.


*******************************************************
2) ACTION NEEDED: Create a Congressional Space Champion
*******************************************************

Every prospace American now is faced with a great 
opportunity.  The opportunity to ask your own Member 
of Congress to "co-sponsor" this bill.  This will force
your elected leader to think about space in a totally 
different way, and could change forever how he or she 
thinks about the possibilities of our future on the
space frontier.

Most Members of Congress think of space as a big, bureaucratic *program.*
 This is big problem -- a problem that we have created for ourselves --
because we keep selling the programs and not the vision.  

Space is a *place* ... an endless frontier that could be opened to thousands
in the next decade and millions soon after.  What if Members of Congress
thought of space as a frontier for exciting jobs, enormous wealth, big
challenges and fantastic opportunities in the 21st Century?  What if the
Leaders of our nation knew that they could help create this future *without*
spending billions of taxpayer dollars?

They would become a "Champion" of the Space Frontier. But your personal
Member of Congress does not know about this future.  

You can change everything with just one phone call.

The Commercial Space Act of 1997 is a new beginning.  It is the 
*start* of a series of commercial space bills designed to open 
the space frontier.  If your Member of Congress co-sponsors this bill, you
will have created a CONGRESSIONAL CHAMPION for the space frontier.  A
champion for each and every bill which will follow.

A champion for a Citizens' Space Agenda.

I urge you to get involved NOW.  You have an opportunity
as a U.S. citizen to make a real difference.

Action Steps NEEDED:

  1) Get Name of your Member of Congress

     If you don't know his or her name, ask a friend,  
     look it up in the local newspaper or the phone
     book, or just call your local operator for
     information.

  2) Get the Phone Number:

     The easiest way to get this is to call the
     Congressional Operator at 202-224-3121.

  3) Make the Call

  4) Tell whoever answers the phone that you are a
     constituent from NAME of YOUR TOWN, and ask for  
     the staff person responsible for space.

  5) Be polite. (Be persistent, but be polite.)

  6) When you get the staffer, tell him or her that
     you want Congressperson to:

       "Please Co-Sponsor H.R. 1702, the Commercial 
        Space Act of 1997."

7) Details:

     * It will help America take the lead in several
       critical 21st Century industries, and create 
       thousands of high-wage jobs for Americans.

     * It is bi-partisan and non-controversial.

     * It costs no money!

     * Quick Action Needed: The bill is expected to 
       come up for a vote in July, so we need them to 
       act soon to become a Co-Sponsor.

  8) If they want to know more details, read them the
     summary of the bill below.

  9) If they want to know a lot more about these issues:

     a) Suggest that they call the Space Subcommittee.

     b) Invite them to attend the upcoming symposium
        on "Cheap Access to Space: The Key to the 
        Space Frontier" which is sponsored by the 
        Space Frontier Foundation and NASA, and 
        co-sponsored by the Department of Defense
        and Air Force Phillips Laboratory.  Call
        1-800-78-SPACE for information.

 10) Report to ProSpace on your Results!

     Let us know what you did, and what they said.
     This is important information for future actions
     on Capitol Hill, and will help us know what specific
     Members of Congress are thinking.  Email us at
     "SpFrontier@aol.com."


*********************************
A) APPENDIX: Summary of H.R. 1702
*********************************

  >> Expands the Commercial Space Launch Act to  
     authorize the licensing of space vehicles for 
     re-entry into Earth's atmosphere and to land on 
     Earth;

  >> Expands the Launch Services Purchase Act to cover 
     *all* federal space payloads;

  >> Promotes commercialization of the International  
     Space Station;

  >> Encourages federal purchase of space science data   
     from the private sector;

  >> Extends the launch vouchers program indefinitely, 
     a potential boon for new small launch companies;

  >> Streamlines regulation of the commercial remote  
     sensing industry; and

  >> Directs the President to advocate the Global 
     Positioning System (GPS) as the international 
     standard for position location and continue  
     worldwide GPS access free of user charges.

                        *****

"This is the true joy in life, the being used for a 
purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the 
being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish 
little clod of ailments and grievances complaining 
that the world will not devote itself to making you 
happy.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole 
community and as long as I can live it is my privilege 
to do for it whatever I can.

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the 
harder I work the more I live.  I rejoice in life for 
its own sake.  Life is no "brief candle" to me.  It 
is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of 
for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly 
as possible before handing it on to future generations."

     - George Bernard Shaw
         Man and Superman


     ***********************************
     "Opening the Space Frontier for ALL 
     Americans, and as soon as possible"

         E-mail: SpFrontier@aol.com
            Web: www.prospace.org
     ***********************************