A resolution supporting international cooperation and continued United States leadership to maintain access to space and achieve advances in space technology.

III 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. RES. 386 Supporting international cooperation and continued United States leadership to maintain access to space and achieve advances in space technology. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES OCTOBER 30, 2019 Mr. UDALL (for himself and Mr. KAINE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans- portation RESOLUTION Supporting international cooperation and continued United States leadership to maintain access to space and achieve advances in space technology. Whereas there are approximately 2,062 active satellites in Earth orbit, 24,000 objects tracked by the Air Force that are debris or inactive satellites, and many more objects that are currently too small to track; Whereas the United States has a leading role in the manage- ment of space traffic; Whereas space is an increasingly important environment for economic growth due to the development of small satellite technologies and the reduced cost of space launch result- ing from innovations by private entities; VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR386.IS SR386 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •SRES 386 IS Whereas, on a daily basis, multiple countries, businesses, and billions of individuals rely on the information and com- munications capabilities provided by satellites in space; Whereas maintaining access to space is vital for the national security and economic interests of the United States; Whereas increased space traffic at different orbits presents a new challenge for governments, private entities, research- ers, and the Armed Forces; Whereas the goal of the United States is to support develop- ment of space by private entities, including the develop- ment of space tourism; Whereas, in 2019, the United States commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing; Whereas the United States completed 6 crewed lunar landing missions, multiple orbital missions, and numerous other robotic missions to the Moon and each of the planets in the solar system and beyond; Whereas the United States aims to return to the Moon by 2024 and subsequently send the first crewed mission to Mars; Whereas destructive anti-satellite tests threaten international access to space; Whereas a collision or other preventable disaster in space would reduce access to space and threaten future mili- tary, civil, and commercial missions in space for all coun- tries; Whereas the United States and 108 other countries are par- ties to the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, In- cluding the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, done at VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR386.IS SR386 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •SRES 386 IS Washington, London, and Moscow January 27, 1967 (18 UST 2410) (in this preamble referred to as the ‘‘Outer Space Treaty’’); Whereas access to space and the management of space traffic are international problems that require creative technical and legal solutions; Whereas Article I of the Outer Space Treaty states that— (1) the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, irre- spective of their degree of economic or scientific develop- ment, and shall be the province of all mankind; (2) outer space, including the Moon and other celes- tial bodies, shall be free for exploration and use by all states without discrimination of any kind, on a basis of equality and in accordance with international law, and there shall be free access to all areas of celestial bodies; and (3) there shall be freedom of scientific investigation in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, and states shall facilitate and encourage inter- national cooperation in such investigation; Whereas realization of Article I of the Outer Space Treaty requires sustainable access to space; Whereas actions that could threaten access to space, such as an inadvertent or intentional creation of persistent de- bris, threaten the potential to explore and use space for all countries; Whereas if agreements on the sustainable use of space are not made, the potential for a future trillion-dollar econ- omy in space will be threatened; VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR386.IS SR386 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •SRES 386 IS Whereas the United States has been a leader in developing the rules, regulations, and best practices for successful operation in space; Whereas the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space— (1) furthers the exploration and use of space for the benefit of all humanity; (2) works on a consensus basis with 92 member states; and (3) in 2011, was charged with developing guidelines for space sustainability; Whereas the United States has been instrumental in the de- velopment of those guidelines; and Whereas the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space has agreed on 21 such guidelines for im- plementation: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) supports improvements in space situational 2 awareness and advances in technology and inter- 3 national cooperation; 4 (2) recognizes that the use of space by govern- 5 ments and private entities requires a system for 6 deconfliction of space traffic and prevention of colli- 7 sions to ensure the use of space for current and fu- 8 ture users; 9 (3) supports the efforts of the international 10 community and the United States to implement the 11 21 guidelines for space sustainability agreed on by 12 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR386.IS SR386 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •SRES 386 IS the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses 1 of Outer Space; 2 (4) encourages the Secretary of State to con- 3 tinue to support those efforts; 4 (5) supports continued interagency efforts— 5 (A) to streamline regulations relating to 6 access to space; and 7 (B) to support the continued sustainable 8 use of space by government and private entities 9 in Earth orbit and deep space; and 10 (6) requests that the Secretary of State notify 11 Congress of any legislative requirements for imple- 12 mentation of the 21 guidelines for space sustain- 13 ability agreed on by the United Nations Committee 14 on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. 15 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR386.IS SR386 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS