SIA President Tom Stroup Testifies Before Senate Hearing on Space Situational Awareness, Space Traffic Management & Orbital Debris

Washington, D.C., July 22, 2021 – The Satellite Industry Association (SIA) testified today on the critical importance of a safe space environment before a U.S. Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee Hearing titled, “Space Situational Awareness, Space Traffic Management and Orbital Debris: Examining Solutions for Emerging Threats.”   The hearing was held by the Senate Subcommittee on Space and Science.  SIA President Tom Stroup provided testimony on behalf of the Association.

“We are at an important time in the advancement and use of space with U.S. industry bringing vast innovation to space. There are many innovative ways to use space which drive the increased need for more precise orbital tracking, space situational awareness (SSA), and, in the future, a space traffic coordination and management (STCM) regime… The safety of the space environment is critical to all of our operators: from navigating through debris fields, rocket bodies, and defunct satellites, to operators coordinating on orbital planes and best practices for collision avoidance, to our cubesat operators who must utilize innovative designs to maneuver their satellites without exceeding their size, weight, and power budgets.

“SIA projects the profile of active satellites operating in low earth orbit will change substantially in the upcoming 5-10 years… it is clear that the current framework of space regulations and policies requires review and, in some cases, revision to prepare for the continued utilization of space, encourage and promote innovation, drive continued investments in the U.S., and promote a safe space environment.  SIA urges thoughtful consideration of the SSA and eventual STCM regime in a way that facilitates operators appropriately responsible for safe space operations and fosters the ongoing safe and efficient use of the shared space environment.”

The hearing was convened earlier today to discuss the policies, programs, and research needed for effective civil SSA, STM, and orbital debris mitigation.  A written copy of SIA’s complete testimony is available at https://sia.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/FOR-PR21-SIA_testimony-SSA-final-072221.pdf.

Further information regarding the hearing is available at the following link:  https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2021/7/space-situational-awareness-space-traffic-management-and-orbital-debris-examining-solutions-for-emerging-threats/819ef822-3e6d-4ab1-9a56-31c6d60969c9

About The Satellite Industry Association

SIA is a U.S.-based trade association providing representation of the leading satellite operators, service providers, manufacturers, launch services providers, and ground equipment suppliers. For more than two decades, SIA has advocated on behalf of the U.S. satellite industry on policy, regulatory, and legislative issues affecting the satellite business. For more information, visit www.sia.org.

SIA Executive Members include: Amazon; AT&T Services, Inc.; The Boeing Company; EchoStar Corporation; Intelsat S.A.; Iridium Communications Inc.; Kratos Defense & Security Solutions; Ligado Networks; Lockheed Martin Corporation; OneWeb; SES Americom, Inc.; Space Exploration Technologies Corp.; Spire Global Inc.; and Viasat Inc. SIA Associate Members include: ABS US Corp.; Amazon Web Services; Artel, LLC; AST & Science; Astranis Space Technologies Corp.; Blue Origin; Eutelsat America Corp.; ExoAnalytic Solutions; HawkEye 360; Hughes; Inmarsat, Inc.; Kymeta Corporation; Leonardo DRS; Lynk; Omnispace; Ovzon; Panasonic Avionics Corporation; Peraton; Planet; SpaceLink; Telesat Canada; ULA; UltiSat and XTAR, LLC. SIA Affiliate Members include: The Aerospace Corporation; Akash Systems Inc.; ARA; Aurora Insight; COMSAT; Envistacom, LLC; Integrasys LLC, Kaman Precision Products; Kencast; Keysight Technologies, Inc.; Media Broadcast Satellite; Orange Business Services; Plexus Corp; Sheppard Mullin; Skylo Technologies; and Wiley