WASHINGTON, DC (March 26, 2025) — Last week, Committee leaders sent a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Lutnick demanding that the firings of probationary employees at NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce be reversed. NOAA’s OSC is essential for the continued growth of America’s burgeoning commercial space sector. The letter was signed by Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics Ranking Member Valerie Foushee (NC-04), and Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Ranking Member Emilia Sykes (OH-13).
“These irrational and senseless firings, if not reversed, will degrade OSC’s ability to execute its mission, which is essential for the continued growth of America’s burgeoning commercial space sector,” the Members said in their letter. “The firings risk compromising OSC’s critical public safety programs, including the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS), a novel initiative to develop a civil space situational awareness capability intended to support spaceflight safety for civil and private spaceflight operators. The firings will also impede OSC’s role in licensing commercial space-based remote sensing systems and negatively affect business operations for those companies seeking to license their systems. If OSC is gutted, the harm to America’s economy, its national security, and its public safety will leave everyone worse off – except perhaps for SpaceX, whose size and scale will allow it to mitigate the damage done to the rest of the commercial space sector and whose CEO, Elon Musk, orchestrated the firings as the leader of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) despite his own blatant conflicts of-interest. The harm inflicted on the national interest by these actions is unacceptable. As the Ranking Members of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (the Committee) and the Subcommittees on Space and Aeronautics and Investigations & Oversight, we urge you to restore OSC’s ability to promote economic growth and protect public safety by rescinding these firings and permanently rehiring OSC’s probationary employees before it is too late.”