University Spacecraft Operators Forum

About

The Office of Space Commerce’s “University Spacecraft Operators Forum” is designed to bring together spacecraft operators from academic institutions to share best practices for safe and responsible space operations.

OSC intends to hold the forum on a quarterly basis, through both in-person and virtual meetings. Updates regarding upcoming sessions will be posted on this page.

For more information or to express interest in joining the group’s email contact/distribution list, contact the Office of Space Commerce team at Space.Commerce@noaa.gov and TraCSS.Outreach@noaa.gov.

May 2026 Inaugural Forum

On Wednesday, May 27, the Office of Space Commerce’s Traffic Coordination System for Space team hosted the first session of the “University Spacecraft Operators Forum.”

During this session, the team provided an overview of the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS), which offers free spaceflight safety services to operators worldwide. The team discussed how university spacecraft operators can leverage TraCSS to enhance awareness of the space environment, improve operational safety, and support hands-on training for students entering the space industry.

More Information:

Why should university spacecraft operators connect with the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS)?

• Ensure your university contributes to best practices for spaceflight safety.
• Get access to the newest U.S. space situational awareness system.
• Train students to work with space situational awareness data to support safe space operations.
• Provide input to the TraCSS team to improve spaceflight safety in the future.