America wants to be a traffic cop for satellites and space junk

U.S. government seeks ‘seamless transition’ from AF to Commerce Dept.

Under Trump administration plans, the Commerce Department would be the leading U.S. agency in tracking space objects and alerting space users to potential collisions, taking over a role traditionally handled by the Air Force.

The agency would also assume responsibility for tracking space debris while also devising new, best practices to coordinate the coming profusion of thousands more commercial platforms operating in space.

The Air Force currently tracks space objects larger than 10 centimeters and issues alerts to satellite operators — and other nations — about potential collisions. Over time, the Commerce Department would take over space traffic oversight to provide traffic management and situational awareness for objects, Secretary Wilbur Ross said on April 17 during a speech at the Space Symposium, a major annual militaryindustrial space conference held in Colorado Springs, Colo.

That task is growing increasingly important. Newer, lower-cost technologies and launch systems, along with venture capital and ambitious billionaires, have made space an explosive place for startups. The new civil agency within Commerce would oversee the international effort to more closely monitor the satellites — and junk — that populate various Earth orbits. Thousands of pieces of debris, spent satellites and used rockets circle earth; another 600,000 objects between 1 and 10 centimeters are not tracked closely.

All of these are potential catastrophes for the estimated 1,500 to 2,000 satellites currently surrounding the globe. Soon, there will be additional constellations of smaller satellites sent up by SpaceX, OneWeb and other companies.

The U.S. government will ensure “a seamless transition” from Air Force supervision of space traffic “before any big changes are finalized,” Ross said.

In its general stance toward space commercialization, Commerce officials will adopt “the mindset of a sensible facilitator” for space firms, and not act as a traditional regulatory agency, Ross said. Currently, companies operating in space must typically work with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Communications Communication, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Defense or other agencies to obtain necessary approvals for their activities.

“The regulatory framework is over 25 years old and no longer meets the burgeoning needs of space markets and technologies,” Ross said.

The National Space Council devised the new structure and will send it to the White House for review, Vice President Mike Pence said at the Colorado conference. In its first year of work, the council has designated the Commerce Department as the lead agency for advancing U.S. commercial space interests, charging Ross with creating “a one-stop shop for space commerce” within the government for licensing and other regulatory reviews.

The Pentagon is ready to shed the responsibility of orbital tracking and notifications, Ross said, following a lunch on April 16 with Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson. Ross also met with executives from eight space companies to hear criticism of the current U.S. regulatory framework. “We want to do baby steps,” he said.