§18441 National and International Orbital Debris Mitigation

Summary

Congress requires a coordinated U.S. and international effort to prevent, reduce, and remove orbital debris. It says the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee gives a shared approach agreed to by 10 national space agencies (including NASA) and the European Space Agency. NASA must take an active role and ask other federal agencies like the Departments of State, Defense, and Commerce to make sure foreign counterparts know about these commitments. Key pieces include agreements on spacecraft design, operations, and end-of-life plans to avoid creating dead objects; a strong space situational awareness network to spot collision risks and give trajectory data for avoidance; and an interagency strategy for the President that includes plans for international cooperation. The Administrator must keep and strengthen talks with other spacefaring countries, through the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee and elsewhere, working with other federal departments as appropriate. The Director of OSTP, coordinating with the National Security Council Director and using the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology coordinating mechanism, must develop an overall strategy for the President to review with recommendations for international collaboration.