S. 1962 · Where this bill is now
In the House
Passed the Senate Sep 23, 2026. Received Sep 24, 2026; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryFCC blocked from licensing certain foreign satellites
The bill prevents the FCC from giving satellite licenses or permission for foreign satellites to operate in the U.S. market if those satellites are made or run by companies deemed a national security risk. The FCC already keeps a list of foreign equipment and services that pose these risks, and this bill bars companies on that list and their partners from getting the licenses they'd need to communicate with ground stations in the U.S.
How it affects you
This primarily affects companies that build or operate satellites and ground stations, as well as foreign companies trying to access the U.S. market. For most Americans, the change is largely behind-the-scenes, since it controls which foreign satellite operators can do business here rather than directly changing what services you can access.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Jun 5, 2025)
Secure Space Act of 2025
This bill prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from granting satellite licenses or earth station authorizations, including U.S. market access for foreign-licensed satellites, to specified foreign entities of concern and their affiliates. (Earth stations, also commonly known as ground stations, are earth-based radio stations that communicate with satellites. A grant of U.S. market access permits one or more foreign-licensed satellites to communicate with one or more U.S.-licensed earth stations.)
Specifically, the FCC may not grant a satellite license, an earth station authorization, or market access to any entity, or an affiliate thereof, that produces or provides communications equipment or services deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States. (The FCC maintains a list of such equipment and services, known as the Covered List. Providers of such equipment and services include, for example, Huawei Technologies Company and ZTE Corporation.)
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 1962
AN ACT
Secure Space Act of 2026
Sponsor: Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) · Introduced Jun 5, 2025 · Science, Technology, Communications · 3 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 24, 2026: “Held at the desk.”