Space Traffic Operations & Debris

Can an international space situational awareness (SSA) data sharing framework for assessing countries’ norms of behavior compliance build enough support—from enough countries—to influence bad actors’ behavior in space?

The last few decades have seen a growth in both the complexity of space operations and the number of commercial entrants into the space economy. The resulting increase in space debris engenders a need for viable active debris removal (ADR) strategies in spite of seemingly insurmountable legal challenges. Can the legal questions associated with ADR be resolved with a bottom-up approach involving pathfinder missions based on permission and consent?

Key lines of effort, extrapolated from SPD-3 and reinforced in the 2020 NSP, guide understanding and assessment of recent efforts, and provides insights into where new and continuing efforts should be focused.