Legislation would improve space traffic coordination in low-Earth Orbit, reduce congestion
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, John Cornyn, Gary Peters, Marsha Blackburn, Eric Schmitt, Mark Kelly, Roger Wicker, and Ben Ray Luján introduced the Situational Awareness of Flying Elements in (SAFE) Orbit Act. The legislation would improve space traffic coordination (STC) in low-Earth orbit by directing the Office of Space Commerce (OSC), which operates within the U.S. Department of Commerce, to acquire and share unclassified information on space activities in low-Earth orbit.
“The boom in commercial space activities has filled low-Earth orbit with more debris and satellites than ever,” said Hickenlooper. “A cutting-edge traffic coordination system will help preserve our leadership in space.”
Our current government space situational awareness (SSA) services have not kept pace with the accuracy our space industry needs. The SAFE Orbit Act would fix that.
Specifically, the legislation would:
- Make basic-level SSA data, analytics, information, and services available for public use through an easily accessible, free web interface
- Maintain a public catalog of SSA data and information using data from diverse sources
- Facilitate the development and adoption of voluntary industry consensus standards to ensure data standardization among satellite owners and operators, commercial service providers, the academic community, and nonprofits
- Foster collaboration with U.S Government and foreign government operators to encourage participation in data-sharing with respect to their assets in orbit
- Prioritize purchasing data, analytics, information, and services from commercial SSA providers
- Ensure any licensing agreements allow private U.S. firms to continue market growth and protect proprietary commercial systems and data
The Commercial Spaceflight Federation has endorsed this legislation.
“Commercial space objects in low-Earth orbit can help scientists make new discoveries and spur technological innovation, but this hinges on the ability to conduct safe and effective space traffic coordination,” said Cornyn. “The SAFE Orbit Act would prevent dangerous and costly accidental collisions in low-Earth orbit and improve access to data collection and analysis to help propel the United States into the next phase of space exploration.”
“To continue as a global leader in commercial space activity, the United States must lead the way to protect astronauts in orbit and space-based assets,” said Peters. “This legislation would provide important data that can help inform space exploration decisions and promote safe expansion.”
“The world is entering a new space race, and we must equip American innovators with every resource to win,” said Blackburn. “The SAFE Orbit Act would take an important step to centralize and improve space traffic coordination, ensuring there are no tragic collisions in space. As we enter this new frontier, we must be certain that we prioritize safety and coordination with our partners around the globe.”
“As the commercial space industry continues to grow, we need to safely track and manage objects in orbit and prevent collisions,” said Kelly. “We’re providing the tools for critical space situational awareness that will safeguard public access to orbital data, empower scientists and innovators to advance this critical frontier, and strengthen American leadership in space.”
“Future expansion in space requires better technology and data coordination. Currently, companies lack the awareness of other objects such as space junk, which could collide with valuable satellites,” said Wicker. “This new emerging business sector represents the new economic frontier, but we must make sure we are prepared to tap its potential.”
“This legislation will help make essential improvements to how we track objects in Earth’s orbit, enhancing space safety through better tracking and coordination to reduce collision risks,” said Luján. “As the commercial space activity grows, in New Mexico and across the country, access to critical space data is necessary to ensure safety and security.”
Full text of the bill is available HERE.
###