ORBITS Act of 2025
The ORBITS Act of 2025, titled the Orbital Sustainability Act of 2025, would create a U.S. government program to actively remediate orbital debris and develop uniform practices for managing debris in space. It establishes a demonstration project funded by Congress to advance technologies and methods for removing or otherwise disposing of selected debris, with competitive participation from eligible U.S.-based entities such as commercial firms, universities, and nonprofits. The bill also directs the government to develop and publish uniform orbital debris standards and space traffic coordination practices, aiming to reduce collision and casualty risk and improve transparency and international cooperation. Collectively, the act seeks to reduce debris-related risks, support ongoing U.S. space activities, and foster a domestic and international framework for debris remediation and safe operations. The bill would require prioritization of debris for remediation, create data-sharing provisions (while protecting sensitive information), and establish reporting and evaluation requirements. It also authorizes funding for 2026–2030, provides for procurement of remediation services through competitive contracts, and directs ongoing updates to adopted standards and practices to reflect evolving technology, industry input, and international collaboration. Overall, it signals a proactive federal role in debris remediation, standardization, and space traffic management.
Key Points
- 1Active debris remediation demonstration program: The Administrator, in cooperation with other federal entities, must establish a competitive, milestone-based program within 180 days to research, develop, and demonstrate technologies for remediation of selected orbital debris identified on a prioritized list.
- 2Debris prioritization and data access: Within 90 days, the Secretary (with NASA and others) must publish a publicly accessible list of Debris identified for remediation, including data such as location, age, size, and risk information derived from government and non-government sources; data handling and privacy protections apply.
- 3Acquisition of remediation services and economic analysis: The act encourages fair, open competition for remediation services and requires an economic assessment of demand for such services over the next decade to guide government and private market expectations.
- 4Uniform orbital debris standard practices: The National Space Council, coordinating with multiple agencies, must update the Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices within 1 year to address constellations, collision/explosion risk, post-mission disposal, time-to-disposal, collision avoidance, tracking smaller debris, and related issues; results to be published and used to inform regulations and international discussions.
- 5Space traffic coordination standards: The Secretary, with relevant agencies and the National Space Council, must develop standard practices for on-orbit space traffic coordination grounded in existing guidelines, and promote their adoption domestically and internationally, with ongoing engagement with industry and standards bodies.