Cleared for Liftoff: NTIA Unveils Space Launch Frequency Coordination Portal

New tool is part of broad modernization of federal spectrum management

WASHINGTON—Today, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the Department of Commerce announced the debut of its Space Launch Frequency Coordination Portal, which will streamline federal reviews of spectrum requests by commercial space launch providers. 

“Efficient, innovative spectrum management is essential to both our national security and economic prosperity. But for too long, the federal government has been bogged down by slow, outdated technologies,” said Arielle Roth, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator. “Today’s launch of the Space Launch Frequency Coordination Portal is the first step in the modernization of our systems that will position the United States for leadership in spectrum innovation and space for years to come.” 

The Space Launch Frequency Coordination Portal replaces a system that was previously run through e-mail and had been criticized by industry for lacking transparency and moving slowly. The new portal will allow commercial space launch providers to request spectrum in the sought after S-band frequencies for space launch operations, as well as deliver a transparent and more expeditious process for reviewing the status of their requests. Federal agencies will be able to review and approve requests, provide feedback, and view all aspects of a request including comments from other agencies. 

The new portal advances President Trump’s Executive Order on Ensuring American Space Superiority, which called for enabling commercial launch services and increasing launch cadence through efficiency improvements, as well as a Congressional mandate from the Launch Communications Act for improved space launch coordination. 

Today’s announcement is part of NTIA's broader initiative to leverage digital tools and online portals to streamline previously cumbersome review processes. NTIA’s Environmental Screening and Permitting Tracking Tool is streamlining permitting and environmental reviews for broadband programs by identifying categorical exclusions, drafting decision memos, and allowing states to access a dashboard to validate NEPA schedules and track progress. NTIA is also researching how to apply AI to spectrum management processes, including frequency assignments and propagation modeling.

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