Reps. Don Beyer, D-Va., and Donald Norcross, D-N.J., have reintroduced legislation that would establish a civil space situational awareness capability under the Department of Commerce to ensure spaceflight safety and space sustainability.
The Space Safety and Situational Awareness Transition Act of 2023 aims to support the safety of orbital operations by monitoring space objects, predicting their future trajectories and assessing the risk of potential collisions with operating satellites, Beyer’s office said Thursday.
The bill would also support NASA in conducting research and development on space situational awareness.
“This bill would make important changes to direct inter-agency traffic and establish clearly defined roles for key players on space situational awareness, including the Department of Commerce and NASA,” Beyer said.
Norcross added that the legislation would “support the sustainability of space and ensure the safety of spacecraft.”
The bill was co-sponsored by Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., ranking member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
