Our orbital space is kind of messy. Time to clean it up, according to a bipartisan bill introduced last month.
Just how messy is it? About 8,000 metric tons, including at least 900,000 individual pieces of space junk – or orbital debris as we say in polite government lingo. And all that junk is potentially lethal to satellites.
The bill to clean up the mess is called the Orbital Sustainability (ORBITS) Act, H.R. 8787. The bill was introduced by House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse (D-CO) and cosponsored by Representatives Carol Miller (R-WV), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), and Jack Bergman (R-MI).
The ORBITS Act will jumpstart a program focused on research, development, and the demonstration of technologies capable of safely carrying out successful Active Debris Remediation (ADR) missions. More specifically, the legislation will:
- Direct NASA, in coordination with the Departments of Commerce, Defense, and the National Space Council, to publish a list of debris objects that pose the greatest risk to the safety of orbiting spacecraft and on-orbit activities;
- Direct NASA to establish a demonstration program to partner with industry in developing technology for remediating debris objects through repurposing or removal from orbit;
- Encourage the U.S. government to buy ADR services from industry partners once they succeed in the demonstration and are commercially available;
- Direct the National Space Council to update the Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices (ODMSP) used by U.S. government space missions; and
- Direct the Department of Commerce, in coordination with the National Space Council and the FCC, to develop and promote standard practices for avoiding near misses and collisions between spacecraft in orbit.
Rep. Neguse commented, “I’m proud to partner with a bipartisan group of my colleagues to protect the safety of our astronauts and ensure the success of NASA missions by supporting the removal of dangerous orbital debris. The ORBITS Act will help to ensure the longevity of American space exploration for years to come.”
Rep. Miller added, “It is imperative that the United States maintains dominance in space exploration to ensure our national security remains intact. However, the growing number of debris objects in space are (sic) threatening military missions and business expenditures. The Orbital Sustainability (ORBITS) Act will provide resources to reduce the amount of debris.”
The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.