Title: ORBITS Act of 2022
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Orbital Sustainability Act of 2022 or the ORBITS Act of 2022
This bill directs specified agencies to take actions to remediate orbital debris (human-made space objects that are no longer in use and can harm orbiting satellites and on-orbit activities).
First, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) must
NASA (and other relevant agencies) may also contract for remediation services to support the commercial availability of such services.
Second, the National Space Council must update the Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices within 90 days of the enactment of the bill and update them periodically thereafter. The updates must address matters including satellite constellations and other planned space systems, collision risks, and disposal of space systems after missions. The updates must inform (1) regulations of other agencies concerning orbital debris, and (2) bilateral and multilateral discussions with other countries concerning certain space activities.
Third, the Department of Commerce must facilitate the development of standard practices to coordinate on-orbit space traffic. Upon completion of the practices, Commerce and other federal departments must promote their adoption and use for space missions.


[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4814 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4814

  To establish a demonstration program for the active remediation of 
orbital debris and to require the development of uniform orbital debris 
 standard practices in order to support a safe and sustainable orbital 
                  environment, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 12, 2022

   Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Ms. Lummis, Ms. Cantwell, and Mr. 
    Wicker) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a demonstration program for the active remediation of 
orbital debris and to require the development of uniform orbital debris 
 standard practices in order to support a safe and sustainable orbital 
                  environment, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Orbital Sustainability Act of 2022'' 
or the ``ORBITS Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The safety and sustainability of operations in low-
        Earth orbit and nearby orbits in outer space have become 
        increasingly endangered by a growing amount of orbital debris.
            (2) Exploration and scientific research missions and 
        commercial space services of critical importance to the United 
        States rely on continued and secure access to outer space.
            (3) Efforts by nongovernmental space entities to apply 
        lessons learned through standards and best practices will 
        benefit from government support for implementation both 
        domestically and internationally.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that to 
preserve the sustainability of operations in space, the United States 
Government should--
            (1) to the extent practicable, develop and carry out 
        programs, establish or update regulations, and commence 
        initiatives to minimize orbital debris, including initiatives 
        to demonstrate active debris remediation of orbital debris 
        generated by the United States Government;
            (2) lead international efforts to encourage other 
        spacefaring countries to mitigate and remediate orbital debris 
        under their jurisdiction and control; and
            (3) encourage space system operators to continue 
        implementing best practices for space safety when deploying 
        satellites and constellations of satellites, such as 
        transparent data sharing and designing for system reliability, 
        so as to limit the generation of future orbital debris.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Active debris remediation.--The term ``active debris 
        remediation''--
                    (A) means the deliberate process of facilitating 
                the de-orbit, repurposing, or other disposal of orbital 
                debris using an object or technique that is external or 
                internal to the orbital debris; and
                    (B) does not include de-orbit, repurposing, or 
                other disposal of orbital debris by passive means.
            (2) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration.
            (3) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Appropriations and the 
                Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
                the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Appropriations and the 
                Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
                House of Representatives.
            (4) Demonstration program.--The term ``demonstration 
        program'' means the active orbital debris remediation 
        demonstration program carried out under section 4(b).
            (5) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a United States-based--
                            (i) non-Federal, commercial entity;
                            (ii) institution of higher education (as 
                        defined in section 101(a) of the Higher 
                        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))); or
                            (iii) nonprofit organization;
                    (B) any other United States-based entity the 
                Administrator considers appropriate; and
                    (C) a partnership of entities described in 
                subparagraphs (A) and (B).
            (6) Orbital debris.--The term ``orbital debris'' means any 
        human-made space object orbiting Earth that--
                    (A) no longer serves any useful purpose; and
                    (B)(i) has reached the end of its mission; or
                    (ii) is incapable of maneuver or operation.
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Commerce.
            (8) Space traffic coordination.--The term ``space traffic 
        coordination'' means the planning, coordination, and on-orbit 
        synchronization of activities to enhance the safety and 
        sustainability of operations in the space environment.

SEC. 4. ACTIVE DEBRIS REMEDIATION.

    (a) Prioritization of Orbital Debris.--
            (1) List.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with 
        the Secretary, the Secretary of Defense, the National Space 
        Council, and representatives of the commercial space industry, 
        academia, and nonprofit organizations, shall publish a list of 
        identified orbital debris that pose the greatest immediate risk 
        to the safety and sustainability of orbiting satellites and on-
        orbit activities.
            (2) Contents.--The list required under paragraph (1)--
                    (A) shall be developed using appropriate sources of 
                data and information derived from governmental and 
                nongovernmental sources, including space situational 
                awareness data obtained by the Office of Space 
                Commerce, to the extent practicable;
                    (B) shall include, to the extent practicable--
                            (i) a description of the approximate age, 
                        location in orbit, size, tumbling state, post-
                        mission passivation actions taken, and national 
                        jurisdiction of each orbital debris identified; 
                        and
                            (ii) a ranking of each orbital debris 
                        identified in terms of potential risk and 
                        feasibility for safe remediation; and
                    (C) may include orbital debris that poses a 
                significant risk to terrestrial people and assets, 
                including risk resulting from potential environmental 
                impacts from the uncontrolled reentry of the orbital 
                debris identified.
            (3) Form; public availability.--The list required under 
        paragraph (1) shall be--
                    (A) published in unclassified form;
                    (B) made available to the public on the internet 
                website of the National Aeronautics and Space 
                Administration; and
                    (C) updated periodically.
            (4) Research and development.--With respect to orbital 
        debris identified under paragraph (1) that is determined by the 
        Administrator, in consultation with the National Space Council 
        and the National Science and Technology Council, to be 
        ineligible for remediation due to characteristics, size, or 
        location in orbit that makes safe remediation infeasible, the 
        Administrator shall, to the extent practicable, carry out the 
        additional research and development activities necessary, in 
        consultation with the commercial space industry, to mature 
        technologies and enable potential future remediation missions 
        for such orbital debris.
    (b) Active Orbital Debris Remediation Demonstration Program.--
            (1) Establishment.--Subject to the availability of 
        appropriations, not later than 180 days after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with 
        the head of each relevant Federal department or agency, shall 
        establish a demonstration program to make competitive awards 
        for the remediation of orbital debris identified under 
        subsection (a)(1).
            (2) Purpose.--The purpose of the demonstration program 
        shall be to enable eligible entities to pursue the phased 
        development and demonstration of technologies and processes 
        required for active debris remediation.
            (3) Procedures and criteria.--In establishing the 
        demonstration program, the Administrator shall--
                    (A) establish--
                            (i) eligibility criteria for participation;
                            (ii) a process for soliciting proposals 
                        from eligible entities;
                            (iii) criteria for the contents of such 
                        proposals;
                            (iv) program compliance and evaluation 
                        metrics; and
                            (v) program phases and milestones;
                    (B) identify government-furnished data or 
                equipment; and
                    (C) develop a plan for National Aeronautics and 
                Space Administration participation in technology 
                development, as appropriate, and intellectual property 
                rights.
            (4) Proposal evaluation.--In evaluating proposals for the 
        demonstration program, the Administrator shall--
                    (A) consider the safety, feasibility, cost, 
                benefit, and maturity of the proposed technology;
                    (B) consider the potential for the proposed 
                demonstration to successfully remediate orbital debris 
                and to advance the commercial state of the art with 
                respect to active debris remediation;
                    (C) carry out a risk analysis of the proposed 
                technology that takes into consideration the potential 
                casualty risk to humans in space or on the Earth's 
                surface;
                    (D) in an appropriate setting, conduct thorough 
                testing and evaluation of the proposed technology and 
                each component of such technology or system of 
                technologies; and
                    (E) consider the technical and financial 
                feasibility of using the proposed technology to conduct 
                multiple remediation missions.
            (5) Demonstration mission.--
                    (A) In general.--The Administrator shall consult 
                with the head of each relevant Federal department or 
                agency in advance of each demonstration mission.
                    (B) Active debris remediation demonstration 
                mission.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
                Administrator should consider not proceeding with an 
                active debris remediation demonstration mission until 
                multiple award recipients have demonstrated readiness 
                to proceed.
                    (C) Spectrum considerations.--The Administrator 
                shall convey any potential spectrum allocations and 
                licensing needs for active debris remediation 
                demonstration missions to the Federal Communications 
                Commission through the National Telecommunications and 
                Information Administration.
            (6) Reports.--
                    (A) Recommendations.--Not later than 1 year after 
                the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
                Administrator, in consultation with the head of each 
                relevant Federal department or agency, shall submit to 
                Congress a report that provides legislative, 
                regulatory, and policy recommendations to improve the 
                demonstration program and active debris remediation 
                missions, as applicable.
                    (B) Technical analysis.--
                            (i) In general.--To inform decisions 
                        regarding the acquisition of active debris 
                        remediation services by the Federal Government, 
                        not later than 180 days after the completion of 
                        the demonstration program, the Administrator 
                        shall submit to Congress a report that--
                                    (I) summarizes a technical analysis 
                                of technologies developed under the 
                                demonstration program;
                                    (II) identifies any technology gaps 
                                addressed by the demonstration program 
                                and any remaining technology gaps; and
                                    (III) provides, as applicable, any 
                                further legislative, regulatory, and 
                                policy recommendations to enable active 
                                debris remediation missions.
                            (ii) Availability.--The Administration 
                        shall make the report submitted under clause 
                        (i) available to the Secretary, the Secretary 
                        of Defense, and other relevant Federal 
                        departments and agencies, as determined by the 
                        Administrator.
            (7) International cooperation.--
                    (A) In general.--In carrying out the demonstration 
                program, the Administrator, in consultation with the 
                National Space Council and in collaboration with the 
                Secretary of State, may pursue a cooperative 
                relationship with one or more partner countries to 
                enable the remediation of orbital debris identified 
                under subsection (a)(1) that is under the jurisdiction 
                of such partner countries.
                    (B) Arrangement or agreement with partner 
                country.--Any arrangement or agreement entered into 
                with a partner country under subparagraph (A) shall 
                be--
                            (i) concluded--
                                    (I) in the interests of the United 
                                States Government; and
                                    (II) without prejudice to any 
                                contractual arrangement among 
                                commercial parties that may be required 
                                to complete the active debris 
                                remediation mission concerned; and
                            (ii) consistent with the international 
                        obligations of the United States under the 
                        international legal framework governing outer 
                        space activities.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this section 
$150,000,000 for fiscal years 2023 through 2027.

SEC. 5. ACTIVE DEBRIS REMEDIATION SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--To foster the competitive development, operation, 
improvement, and commercial availability of active debris remediation 
services, and in consideration of the economic analysis required by 
subsection (b) and the reports under section 4(b)(6), the Administrator 
and the head of each relevant Federal department or agency may acquire 
services for the remediation of orbital debris, whenever practicable, 
through fair and open competition for contracts that are well-defined, 
milestone-based, and in accordance with the Federal Acquisition 
Regulation.
    (b) Economic Analysis.--Based on the results of the demonstration 
program, the Secretary, acting through the Office of Space Commerce, 
shall publish an assessment of the estimated Federal Government and 
private sector demand for orbital debris remediation services for the 
10-year period beginning in 2024.

SEC. 6. UNIFORM ORBITAL DEBRIS STANDARD PRACTICES FOR UNITED STATES 
              SPACE ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the National Space Council, in coordination with 
the Secretary, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration, the Secretary of Defense, the Federal Communications 
Commission, and the Administrator, shall initiate an update to the 
Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices that--
            (1) considers planned space systems, including satellite 
        constellations; and
            (2) addresses--
                    (A) collision risk;
                    (B) casualty probability;
                    (C) post-mission disposal of space systems;
                    (D) time to disposal or de-orbit;
                    (E) spacecraft collision avoidance and automated 
                identification capability; and
                    (F) the ability to track orbital debris of 
                decreasing size.
    (b) Consultation.--In developing the update under subsection (a), 
the National Space Council shall seek advice and input on commercial 
standards and best practices from representatives of the commercial 
space industry, academia, and nonprofit organizations.
    (c) Publication.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, such update shall be published in the Federal 
Register and posted to the relevant Federal Government websites.
    (d) Regulations.--To promote uniformity and avoid duplication in 
the regulation of space activity, including licensing by the Federal 
Aviation Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, and the Federal Communications Commission, such update, 
after publication, shall be used to inform the further development and 
promulgation of Federal regulations relating to orbital debris.
    (e) International Promotion.--To encourage effective and 
nondiscriminatory standards, best practices, rules, and regulations 
implemented by other countries, such update shall inform bilateral and 
multilateral discussions focused on the authorization and continuing 
supervision of nongovernmental space activities.
    (f) Review.--Not later than 5 years after the completion of such 
update, and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary, in consultation 
with representatives of the commercial space industry, academia, and 
nonprofit organizations, shall--
            (1) conduct a review of the Orbital Debris Mitigation 
        Standard Practices applicable to space systems; and
            (2) submit to the National Space Council recommendations 
        for modifications to such standard practices.

SEC. 7. STANDARD PRACTICES FOR SPACE TRAFFIC COORDINATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in coordination with members of the 
National Space Council and the Federal Communications Commission, shall 
facilitate the development of standard practices for on-orbit space 
traffic coordination based on guidelines and best practices used by 
Government and commercial space industry operators.
    (b) Consultation.--In facilitating the development of standard 
practices under subsection (a), the Secretary, through the Office of 
Space Commerce, shall engage in frequent and routine consultation with 
representatives of the commercial space industry, academia, and 
nonprofit organizations.
    (c) Promotion of Standard Practices.--On completion of such 
standard practices, the Secretary, the Secretary of State, the 
Secretary of Transportation, the Administrator, and the Secretary of 
Defense shall promote the adoption and use of the standard practices 
for domestic and international space missions.
                                 <all>