Thompson Says Civilian Agency Should Manage Space Congestion Written 27 April 2021
Computer-generated depiction of space debris as could be seen from high Earth orbit. | Credit: NASA; Wikipedia; Public Domain
Space News reports that US Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David Thompson said in an interview that he would prefer a civilian agency take over space management activities. Collision “warning duties are expected to transition to the Department of Commerce by 2024 but there are other issues that a civilian agency should be taking on, Thompson said, such as managing activities so they don’t create hazards, setting guidelines for how satellites should maneuver, or what happens when spacecraft exceed their lifetimes.” Thompson said, “Obviously, the DoD wants a voice in that, in terms of what it means to us. We’ll have to play our role, whatever it needs to be, but it’s definitely time for an agency responsible for regulation and regulatory rules and norms to take a more active role, for both the United States but also in dealing with international bodies.”
Full Story (Space News)