WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the Senate Committee on Armed Services’ Subcommittee on Strategic Forces will hold a joint hearing titled, “Options for Assuring Domestic Space Access,” on Wednesday, July 16, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), Chairman of the Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Science and Space, and Senator Mark Udall (D-CO), Chairman of the Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, will co-chair the hearing.

Maintaining affordable, reliable, and sustainable space access across agencies and missions is of critical national importance. The joint hearing will consider the current state of the U.S. launch enterprise and the risks posed to U.S. space operations by relying on the Russian RD-180 rocket engine. In assessing the full range of risk mitigation options, the joint hearing will also examine civil, commercial, and national security launch requirements, as well as the potential cost and schedule implications of developing launch systems.