Space Traffic Management Needs International Solution, Authority, ASE Says

The world needs to move toward a central controlling authority, probably under U.N. auspices, that collects and verifies observations of objects in space and issues warnings about possible collisions, said the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) in a docket 18-313 posting Monday. Until then, the FCC can use its orbital debris NPRM (see 1811150028) to assume that authority role in the U.S. until a longer-term solution is found, it said. It said for objects in orbit, an operator should have to advise a central controlling authority about debris put in orbit as a result of its activities and about any change in the satellite's status. ASE said operators should have to notify the central authority six months before retirement or de-orbit. It said the FCC and U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space should host a conference to form a list of actions needed internationally to address space traffic management and orbital debris issues. ASE is an international group of astronauts and cosmonauts.