ORBITS Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator John Hickenlooper
Introduced
Summary
This bill would establish a government-led, competitive program to remove and manage hazardous orbital debris. It would prioritize the most dangerous objects, fund technology demonstrations, and update cross-agency and international standards to make on-orbit operations safer and more sustainable.
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- Commercial space companies and nonprofts would be able to compete for milestone-based contracts and receive government data and equipment to develop active debris removal technologies.
- NASA, the Office of Space Commerce, and other agencies would run a near-term debris prioritization process with a publicly posted 90-day list and must update Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices within 1 year, with reviews every 5 years.
- Regulators and international partners would get a push toward common standards and coordination, and Commerce must deliver an economic analysis of federal and private demand for debris services over a 10-year period starting in 2026.
*Authorizes $150 million for the demonstration program for FY2026–2030.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Public debris list and safety rules
This bill would require the Department of Commerce to publish an unclassified public list of priority orbital debris within 90 days after enactment. The list would include age, orbit, size, mass, tumbling state, post-mission actions, and jurisdiction when practicable and would not post nonpublic or classified data. The bill would also direct the National Space Council and agencies to update orbital debris safety practices within 90 days and publish the update within 1 year, with reviews at least every 5 years.
New cleanup market for U.S. companies
This bill would require NASA to run a competitive demonstration project for active debris removal not later than 180 days after enactment, subject to appropriations. U.S.-based companies, universities, and nonprofits could compete; NASA would set milestones, evaluation rules, and report progress to Congress. The bill would also authorize agencies to buy cleanup services through milestone-based Federal Acquisition Regulation contracts and require a 10-year federal and private demand estimate for remediation services beginning in 2026. The demonstration is authorized at $150 million for FY2026–2030, but funding would depend on future appropriations.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
John Hickenlooper
CO • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
WA • D
Sponsored 5/22/2025
Roger Wicker
MS • R
Sponsored 5/22/2025
Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY]
WY • R
Sponsored 5/22/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov