[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 172 (Wednesday, October 30, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S6304]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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    SENATE RESOLUTION 386--SUPPORTING INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND 
  CONTINUED UNITED STATES LEADERSHIP TO MAINTAIN ACCESS TO SPACE AND 
                  ACHIEVE ADVANCES IN SPACE TECHNOLOGY

  Mr. UDALL (for himself and Mr. Kaine) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation:

                              S. Res. 386

       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 
     management 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 resulting 
     from innovations by private entities;
       Whereas, on a daily basis, multiple countries, businesses, 
     and billions of individuals rely on the information and 
     communications 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, 
     researchers, and the Armed Forces;
       Whereas the goal of the United States is to support 
     development of space by private entities, including the 
     development 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 military, 
     civil, and commercial missions in space for all countries;
       Whereas the United States and 108 other countries are 
     parties to the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities 
     of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, 
     Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, done at 
     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, irrespective 
     of their degree of economic or scientific development, and 
     shall be the province of all mankind;
       (2) outer space, including the Moon and other celestial 
     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 international 
     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 
     debris, 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 economy 
     in space will be threatened;
       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 
     development of those guidelines; and
       Whereas the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses 
     of Outer Space has agreed on 21 such guidelines for 
     implementation: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports improvements in space situational awareness 
     and advances in technology and international cooperation;
       (2) recognizes that the use of space by governments and 
     private entities requires a system for deconfliction of space 
     traffic and prevention of collisions to ensure the use of 
     space for current and future users;
       (3) supports the efforts of the international community and 
     the United States to implement the 21 guidelines for space 
     sustainability agreed on by the United Nations Committee on 
     the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space;
       (4) encourages the Secretary of State to continue to 
     support those efforts;
       (5) supports continued interagency efforts--
       (A) to streamline regulations relating to access to space; 
     and
       (B) to support the continued sustainable use of space by 
     government and private entities in Earth orbit and deep 
     space; and
       (6) requests that the Secretary of State notify Congress of 
     any legislative requirements for implementation of the 21 
     guidelines for space sustainability agreed on by the United 
     Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

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