U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) on Oct. 21 proposed legislation that would authorize the U.S. Department of Commerce to provide space situational awareness (SSA) services to civil, commercial and international space operators to detect and manage space debris.
“This legislation is critical to keeping low-Earth orbit safe for exploration and protecting our satellite infrastructure,” said Sen. Wicker, chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which is reviewing the bill.
According to MarketsandMarkets Research Private Ltd., SSA services include space weather services, near-earth object detection services, and space surveillance and tracking services that enable the detection of objects such as space debris, rocket bodies, mission-related debris, and fragmented debris, among others. The research firm notes that the growing threat of space debris, increased space exploration activities, and growing space traffic are key factors driving the growth of the space surveillance and tracking services market.
Toward support in this area, Sen. Wicker sponsored the Space Preservation and Conjunction Emergency (SPACE) Act, S. 4827, which would authorize the Assistant Secretary of Space Commerce to provide SSA data, information and services to non-United States government entities, according to the congressional record bill summary.
“Over the past two decades, space debris has created a more dangerous environment for our astronauts and satellites in orbit,” said Sen. Wicker. “The SPACE Act would empower the Department of Commerce to track this debris and issue collision warnings by leveraging its technical expertise and partnerships with the private sector.”
If enacted, S. 4827 would transfer authority for civil, commercial and international SSA notification from the U.S. Department of Defense to the Commerce Department, according to Sen. Wicker’s bill summary, and would elevate the Office of Space Commerce from an office within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to a bureau led by an assistant secretary reporting directly to the U.S. Commerce Secretary.
Additionally, the bill would authorize $15 million for the bureau for fiscal year 2021 to start building the data repository, hire staff and begin an initial operational capability.