119-s1898

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1898 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1898

 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

 May 22, 2025

 Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Wicker, and Ms. 
 Lummis) 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 2025'' 
or the ``ORBITS Act of 2025''.

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 or other entities 
 under the jurisdiction of the United States;

    (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, which may include moving orbital debris to a 
 safe position, 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, the Committee 
 on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Committee 
 on Foreign Relations, and the Committee on Armed 
 Services of the Senate; and
        (B) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee 
 on Science, Space, and Technology, the Committee on 
 Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Armed Services of 
 the House of Representatives.

    (4) Demonstration project.--The term ``demonstration 
 project'' means the active orbital debris remediation 
 demonstration project 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 an intended purpose; and
        (B)
            (i) has reached the end of its mission; or
            (ii) is incapable of safe maneuver or operation.

    (7) Project.--The term ``project'' means a specific 
 investment with defined requirements, a life-cycle cost, a 
 period of duration with a beginning and an end, and a 
 management structure that may interface with other projects, 
 agencies, and international partners to yield new or revised 
 technologies addressing strategic goals.

    (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Commerce.

    (9) 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 Secretary, in consultation with the 
 Administrator, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of 
 State, the National Space Council, and representatives of the 
 commercial space industry, academia, and nonprofit 
 organizations, shall publish a list of select identified 
 orbital debris that may be remediated to improve 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, mass, tumbling state, 
 post-mission passivation actions taken, and 
 national jurisdiction of each orbital debris 
 identified; and
            (ii) data required to inform decisions 
 regarding potential risk and feasibility of 
 safe remediation;
            (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; and
            (D) may include collections of small debris that, 
 as of the date of the enactment of this Act, are 
 untracked.

    (3) Public availability; periodic updates.--
        (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph
        (B) , the 
 list required under paragraph

    (1) shall be published in 
 unclassified form on a publicly accessible internet 
 website of the Department of Commerce.
        (B) Exclusion.--The Secretary may not include on 
 the list published under subparagraph
        (A) data acquired 
 from nonpublic sources.
            (C) Periodic updates.--Such list shall be updated 
 periodically.

    (4) Acquisition, access, use, and handling of data or 
 information.--In carrying out the activities under this 
 subsection, the Secretary--
        (A) shall acquire, access, use, and handle data or 
 information in a manner consistent with applicable 
 provisions of law and policy, including laws and 
 policies providing for the protection of privacy and 
 civil liberties, and subject to any restrictions 
 required by the source of the information;
        (B) shall have access, upon written request, to all 
 information, data, or reports of any executive agency 
 that the Secretary determines necessary to carry out 
 the activities under this subsection, provided that 
 such access is--
            (i) conducted in a manner consistent with 
 applicable provisions of law and policy of the 
 originating agency, including laws and policies 
 providing for the protection of privacy and 
 civil liberties; and
            (ii) consistent with due regard for the 
 protection from unauthorized disclosure of 
 classified information relating to sensitive 
 intelligence sources and methods or other 
 exceptionally sensitive matters; and
            (C) may obtain commercially available information 
 that may not be publicly available.

    (b) Active Orbital Debris Remediation Demonstration Project.--

    (1) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
 of the enactment of this Act, subject to the availability of 
 appropriations, the Administrator, in consultation with the 
 head of each relevant Federal department or agency, shall 
 establish a demonstration project to make competitive awards 
 for the research, development, and demonstration of 
 technologies leading to the remediation of selected orbital 
 debris identified under subsection

    (a)

    (1) .

    (2) === Purpose ===
-The purpose of the demonstration project 
 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 project, 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) project compliance and evaluation 
 metrics; and
            (v) project phases and milestones;
        (B) identify government-furnished data or 
 equipment;
            (C) develop a plan for National Aeronautics and 
 Space Administration participation, as appropriate, in 
 technology development and intellectual property rights 
 that--
            (i) leverages National Aeronautics and 
 Space Administration Centers that have 
 demonstrated expertise and historical knowledge 
 in measuring, modeling, characterizing, and 
 describing the current and future orbital 
 debris environment; and
            (ii) develops the technical consensus for 
 adopting mitigation measures for such 
 participation; and
            (D) 
            (i) assign a project manager to oversee the 
 demonstration project and carry out project activities 
 under this subsection; and
            (ii) in assigning such project manager, leverage 
 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Centers 
 and the personnel of National Aeronautics and Space 
 Administration Centers, as practicable.

    (4) Research and development phase.--With respect to 
 orbital debris identified under paragraph

    (1) of subsection

    (a) , the Administrator shall, to the extent practicable and 
 subject to the availability of appropriations, carry out the 
 additional research and development activities necessary to 
 mature technologies, in partnership with eligible entities, 
 with the intent to close commercial capability gaps and enable 
 potential future remediation missions for such orbital debris, 
 with a preference for technologies that are capable of 
 remediating orbital debris that have a broad range of 
 characteristics described in paragraph

    (2)
        (B)
            (i) of that 
 subsection.

    (5) Demonstration mission phase.--
        (A) In general.--The Administrator shall evaluate 
 proposals for a demonstration mission, and select and 
 enter into a partnership with an eligible entity, 
 subject to the availability of appropriations, with the 
 intent to demonstrate technologies determined by the 
 Administrator to meet a level of technology readiness 
 sufficient to carry out on-orbit remediation of select 
 orbital debris.
        (B) Evaluation.--In evaluating proposals for the 
 demonstration project, the Administrator shall--
            (i) consider the safety, feasibility, cost, 
 benefit, and maturity of the proposed 
 technology;
            (ii) 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;
            (iii) 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;
            (iv) in an appropriate setting, conduct 
 thorough testing and evaluation of the proposed 
 technology and each component of such 
 technology or system of technologies; and
            (v) consider the technical and financial 
 feasibility of using the proposed technology to 
 conduct multiple remediation missions.
            (C) Consultation.--The Administrator shall consult 
 with the head of each relevant Federal department or 
 agency before carrying out any demonstration mission 
 under this paragraph.
            (D) Active debris remediation demonstration 
 mission.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
 Administrator should consider maximizing competition 
 for, and use best practices to engage commercial 
 entities in, an active debris remediation demonstration 
 mission.

    (6) Briefing and reports.--
        (A) Initial briefing.--Not later than 30 days after 
 the establishment of the demonstration project under 
 paragraph

    (1) , the Administrator shall provide to the 
 appropriate committees of Congress a briefing on the 
 details of the demonstration project.
        (B) Annual report.--Not later than 1 year after the 
 initial briefing under subparagraph
        (A) , and annually 
 thereafter until the conclusion of the 1 or more 
 demonstration missions, the Administrator shall submit 
 to the appropriate committees of Congress a status 
 report on--
            (i) the technology developed under the 
 demonstration project;
            (ii) progress toward the accomplishment of 
 the 1 or more demonstration missions; and
            (iii) any duplicative efforts carried out 
 or supported by the National Aeronautics and 
 Space Administration or the Department of 
 Defense.
            (C) Recommendations.--Not later than 1 year after 
 the date on which the first demonstration mission is 
 carried out under this subsection, 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 active debris remediation 
 missions, as applicable.
            (D) Technical analysis.--
            (i) In general.--To inform decisions 
 regarding the acquisition of active debris 
 remediation services by the Federal Government, 
 not later than 1 year after the date on which 
 an award is made under paragraph

    (1) , the 
 Administrator shall submit to Congress a report 
 that--
            (I) summarizes the cost-
 effectiveness, and provides a technical 
 analysis of, technologies developed 
 under the demonstration project;
            (II) identifies any technology gaps 
 addressed by the demonstration project 
 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) Sense of congress on international cooperation.--It is 
 the sense of Congress that, in carrying out the demonstration 
 project, it is critical that the Administrator, in coordination 
 with the Secretary of State and in consultation with the 
 National Space Council, cooperate with one or more partner 
 countries to enable the remediation of orbital debris that is 
 under their respective jurisdictions.
            (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this section 
$150,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
            (d) Rescission of Unobligated Funds.--Unobligated balances of 
amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by subsection
            (c) as 
of September 30, 2030, shall be rescinded not later than December 31, 
2030.

    (e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed 
to grant the Administrator the authority to issue any regulation 
relating to activities under subsection

    (b) or related space activities 
under title 51, United States Code.

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 briefing and 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 
project, 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 2026.

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 Secretary of State, 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) explosion risk;
            (C) casualty probability;
            (D) post-mission disposal of space systems;
        (E) time to disposal or de-orbit;
        (F) spacecraft collision avoidance and automated 
 identification capability; and
        (G) the ability to track orbital debris of 
 decreasing size.

    (b) Consultation.--In developing the update under subsection

    (a) , 
the National Space Council, or a designee of 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, including through workshops and, 
as appropriate, advance public notice and comment processes under 
chapter 5 of title 5, United States Code.
            (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 internet 
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) Periodic Review.--Not less frequently than every 5 years, the 
Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices referred to in subsection

    (a) shall be assessed and, if necessary, updated, used, and promulgated 
in a manner consistent with this section.

SEC. 7. STANDARD PRACTICES FOR SPACE TRAFFIC COORDINATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary 
of Defense and 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 existing 
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, in consultation with the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, 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.
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