S447-118

Passed Senate

To establish a demonstration program for the active remediation of orbital debris and to require the development of uniform orbital debris standard practices in order to support a safe and sustainable orbital environment, and for other purposes.

118th Congress Introduced Mar 3, 2023

At a Glance

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Legislative Progress

Passed Senate
Introduced Committee Passed
Mar 3, 2023

Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Ms. Lummis, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Wicker, …

Mar 3, 2023

Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Ms. Lummis, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Wicker, …

Mar 3, 2023

Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Ms. Lummis, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Wicker, …

Mar 3, 2023

Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Ms. Lummis, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Wicker, …

Mar 3, 2023

Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Ms. Lummis, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Wicker, …

Mar 3, 2023

Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Ms. Lummis, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Wicker, …

Mar 3, 2023

Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Ms. Lummis, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Wicker, …

Mar 3, 2023

Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Ms. Lummis, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Wicker, …

Mar 3, 2023

Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Ms. Lummis, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Wicker, …

Mar 3, 2023

Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Ms. Lummis, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Wicker, …

Summary

What This Bill Does

This bill creates a demonstration program for actively removing orbital debris from space and requires development of uniform debris mitigation standards. It addresses the growing threat of space debris to satellites and space operations.

Who Benefits and How

Space operators benefit from reduced collision risk and clearer standards. National security improves through protected space assets. Commercial space gains regulatory certainty.

Who Bears the Burden and How

NASA must develop and execute active debris remediation demonstrations. Agencies must develop uniform standards.

Key Provisions

  • NASA demonstration program for active debris remediation
  • Requires removal of U.S. government-generated debris
  • Mandates uniform orbital debris standard practices
  • Encourages international cooperation on debris mitigation
  • Promotes best practices for satellite operators
Model: claude-opus-4
Generated: Jan 9, 2026 13:57

Evidence Chain:

This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.

Primary Purpose

Establishes a NASA demonstration program for active orbital debris remediation and requires development of uniform orbital debris standards to ensure sustainable space operations.

Policy Domains

Space Environmental Protection National Security

Legislative Strategy

"Address growing orbital debris threat through demonstration programs and standards"

Bill Structure & Actor Mappings

Who is "The Secretary" in each section?

Domains
Space
Actor Mappings
"the_administrator"
→ Administrator of NASA

Key Definitions

Terms defined in this bill

1 term
"active debris remediation" §3_active_debris_remediation

The deliberate process of facilitating the de-orbit, repurposing, or other disposal of orbital debris using an object or technique external or internal to the debris; does not include passive means

We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.

Learn more about our methodology