COMSTAC Working Groups

For the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC), commercial launch industry issues are addressed through working groups, which provide information, reports and recommendation to the full Committee for adoption. Ad hoc working groups or special task groups are also established to address specific short-term issues and/or issues that need to be addressed quickly. The COMSTAC Working Groups are listed below:

Technology and Innovation Working Group – Responsible for identifying technology issues and innovations affecting the competitiveness of the U.S. commercial space transportation industry and monitoring and assessing foreign expendable launch vehicle (ELV) technologies. This Working Group develops the annual Commercial Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO) Launch Demand Model, (formerly titled: Geostationary Mission Model Update), one of the world's foremost commercial launch market forecast, which projects demand for commercial satellites that operate in geosynchronous orbit and the resulting launch demand to geosynchronous transfer orbit. Past reports developed by this group include Commercial Space Launch System Requirements, July 25, 1996 and The Commercial Launch Vehicle Reliability Calculation Standardization Study, a study on launch reliability calculation methods used by the space launch industry, released in October 1995.

Chair: Dr. Alexander Liang
General Manager, Vehicle Systems Division
The Aerospace Corporation

Reusable Launch Vehicle Working Group – Responsible for identifying and analyzing key safety, technical, policy, and regulatory issues concerning reusable launch vehicle (RLV) development and RLV operations. (Established May 1998).

Chair: Mr. Michael S. Kelly
Vice President, Technology
APFC

Launch Operations and Support Working Group – Responsible for identifying key launch operations, support, and processing issues affecting U.S. commercial space competitiveness; supporting accessibility of new commercial space ventures to launch sites and services; and investigating options for commercialization/privatization of launch services, support, and facilities. This working group began as the COMSTAC Infrastructure Working Group, which was primarily responsible for promoting modernization of existing and development of new launch infrastructure for commercial space launch operations.

Chair: Mr. Robert M. Davis
Director, Business & Strategy Development, ACS
Northrup Grumman Corporation

Risk Management Working Group – Responsible for issues concerning launch liability and insurance for the commercial launch industry. In 2000-2001, the RMWG collected the views of its membership, which includes representatives of the commercial space industry as well as the insurance community, on the topics delineated by Congress in the Space Competitiveness Act. As a result, the RMWG produced a report entitled Risk Management Working Group Report to COMSTAC On the Federal Aviation Administration Office of the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation's "Liability Risk-Sharing regime for U.S. Commercial Space Transportation: Study and Analysis (April 2002).

Co-Chair: Ms. Janet Sadler
Senior Vice President, Aviation Division
AIG Europe (UK) Limited

Co-Chair: Mr. Christopher Kunstadter
Vice President
XL Insurance