Irdium Satellite LLC, which lost one of its satellites in a collision with an old Russian intel satellite, proposed multiple actions to lessen the threat space debris poses to spacecraft in orbit.
The firm said steps should include:
- Long-term investment to improve Space Situational Awareness (SSA) so that the space environment can be better understood and characterized. Better SSA is the key enabler for improved assessment and warning, and supports the objectives of National Space Policy Directive 49 (NSPD-49), our U.S. national space policy. Adding SSA sensors to government and commercial satellites may offer a cost-effective way of improving the timeliness and accuracy of SSA data.
- Improved information sharing between industry and the U.S. government, with the objective of improving the timeliness and accuracy of conjunction assessment and warning. Iridium believes provision of satellite orbital data by commercial operators would relieve the U.S. Air Force of the necessity to devote resources to tracking the company’s satellites, and could provide greater accuracy than would otherwise be commonly available. Iridium is in discussions with the U.S. Joint Space Operations Center (JSPOC) to assess the utility of providing satellite data through the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) JSPOC or other appropriate government agency in return for better conjunction warnings that can be considered and assessed over an appropriate period of time.
- Government support for policy and processes which would permit sharing of classified data as required to allow for high-accuracy assessment and warning.
- Funding and resources to support analysis, assessment, dissemination and warning on timelines and with accuracies that enable action to be taken to avoid collisions.
- Continued support for increased cooperation between the government, and U.S. and foreign commercial operators.