UN COPUOS Establishes Expert Group on Space Situational Awareness
The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS), which wrapped up its meetings this week, has agreed to establish an expert group on Space Situational Awareness (SSA), following a proposal from the United Arab Emirates.
Staff from the Office of Space Commerce (OSC), including Gabriel Swiney, Director of OSC’s Policy, Advocacy, and International Division, and Mariel Borowitz, OSC’s Head of International SSA Engagement, were active participants in the discussion regarding this proposal.
OSC’s Gabriel Swiney delivers remarks at UN COPUOS.
This new group will focus on enhancing international cooperation and information exchange regarding space traffic.
This initiative is directly in line with the Office of Space Commerce’s Vision for Global SSA Coordination. OSC’s vision advocates for improved coordination among national and regional SSA providers worldwide to ensure spacecraft operators receive consistent information to support spaceflight safety. Space safety and sustainability are critical to the continued growth of U.S. commercial space activity.
The proposal’s success has been widely praised by many nations, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, China, Russia, Japan, India, Egypt, Nigeria, Brazil, and others. This broad support signals a promising start for global coordination on an issue vital to the safety and sustainability of space activities.
There are more than 12,000 satellites in space, associated with more than 70 nations. Coordination among these space actors is critical to avoid accidental collisions and ensure that the U.S. commercial space sector can continue to grow and thrive. The new SSA Expert Group is a first step to enable that coordination and support continued U.S. innovation and leadership in space.