S 428 ยท SAFE Orbit Act
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 170.
- Introduced
- Feb 5, 2025
- Latest action
- Sep 29, 2025
- Sponsor
- Sen. John Cornyn [R-TX]
- Policy area
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Cosponsors
- 7
Summary
Situational Awareness of Flying Elements in Orbit Act or the SAFE Orbit Act This bill provides statutory authority for the Traffic Coordination System for Space, which is being developed by the Office of Space Commerce to provide space situational awareness data and services to space operators. ( Space situational awareness means an understanding of the space operational environment and the identification, tracking, and prediction of the behavior of space objects and debris.) As an initial matter, the bill provides for the elevation of the Office of Space Commerce to a standalone bureau within the Department of Commerce. (The office currently sits within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.) The bill authorizes the bureau to acquire location tracking data, positional and orbit determination information, conjunction data messages, and other data, analytics, information, and services deemed necessary to avoid collisions in space. The bureau must disseminate this information at no charge (1) through a public database of space situational awareness information and services, including space traffic coordination; and (2) through the provision of basic situational awareness services to satellite operators. The bill also sets forth certain requirements for the collection and dissemination of such information, including that, to the extent practicable, the provision of service to satellite operators may not compete with private situational awareness products. Finally, the bill provides immunity for the United States government from any suit for a cause of action arising from the provision or receipt of space situational awareness services or information.
Recent actions
- Sep 29, 2025 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 170.
- Sep 29, 2025 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with amendments. With written report No. 119-65.
- Sep 29, 2025 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with amendments. With written report No. 119-65.
- Mar 12, 2025 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
- Feb 5, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Feb 5, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Votes
No recorded votes are available for this bill.