One of the most popular punching bags in the space industry, both among established and emerging companies, is export control. Everyone, it seems, has a story of woe to tell about the difficulty and delays involved in complying with export control regulations for space products, and how such obstacles threaten the American space industry. There have been some efforts to get Congress to change those policies, although nothing of consequence has emerged to date.
To get a different perspective on export control, The Space Show interviewed Ann Ganzer, director of the State Department’s Office of Defense Trade Controls Policy, which handles export licensing. The interview took place Sunday, although you can listen to a recording of the show, which runs about 90 minutes. You won’t necessarily come away with a different opinion about export control, but perhaps gain a little better appreciation of the process. However, it is still up to Congress to provide any substantive reforms to streamline the process, particularly when dealing with friendly nations.
