Bill > S447

This bill, the Orbital Sustainability Act of 2023 or the ORBITS Act of 2023, aims to address the growing issue of orbital debris and ensure the safety and sustainability of operations in low-Earth orbit and nearby orbits. The key provisions of the bill include: 1. Requiring the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with various government agencies and industry representatives, to publish a list of select orbital debris that may be remediated to improve the safety and sustainability of orbiting satellites and on-orbit activities. 2. Establishing a demonstration project led by the NASA Administrator to make competitive awards for the research, development, and demonstration of technologies for active debris remediation. 3. Directing the Administrator to carry out additional research and development activities to mature technologies for potential future remediation missions and to select and enter into a partnership with an eligible entity to demonstrate the remediation of selected orbital debris. 4. Authorizing the acquisition of active debris remediation services through fair and open competition for contracts, and requiring the Secretary to publish an assessment of the estimated federal government and private sector demand for such services. 5. Requiring the National Space Council to initiate an update to the Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices, which will inform the development and promulgation of federal regulations relating to orbital debris. 6. Directing the Secretary of Commerce to facilitate the development of standard practices for on-orbit space traffic coordination, and promoting the adoption and use of these standard practices for domestic and international space missions.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/447/all-info