posted 06-19-2018 07:47 AM               

President Donald J. Trump is Achieving a Safe and Secure Future in Space

Further Space Development: President Donald J. Trump signed Space Policy Directive-3 directing the United States to lead the management of traffic and mitigate the effects of debris in space.

• Space Policy Directive – 3 provides guidelines and direction to ensure that the United States is a leader in providing a safe and secure environment as commercial and civil space traffic increases.
  • As space becomes increasingly contested, the demand for the Department of Defense to focus on protecting U.S. space assets and interests also increases.

  • At the same time, the rapid commercialization of space requires a traffic management framework that protects U.S. interests and considers the private sector's needs.
  
  
• The new Directive seeks to reduce the growing threat of orbital debris to the common interest of all nations.
  • The Directive articulates the policy of the United States to pursue and utilize both Government and commercial sector technologies to track and monitor space debris.

  • The Directive requires updates to the U.S. Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices and new guidelines for satellite design and operation.
  
  
• The new Directive sets guidelines for the United States to manage space traffic more effectively by spearheading new data sharing initiatives.
  • The United States should continue to provide basic space situational awareness data and basic space traffic management services free of direct user fees.

  • The Department of Commerce will make space safety data and services available to the public, while the Department of Defense maintains the authoritative catalogue of space objects.
  
  
• The United States will maintain and expand its leadership in space by increasing its capabilities and developing standards and best practices. This effort will:
  • Improve space situational awareness data standards and information sharing;

  • Leverage U.S. standards and best practices to shape international norms; and

  • Streamline processes and reduce regulatory burdens that inhibit commercial growth, enabling the U.S. commercial sector to lead the world in space.