[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 235 (Friday, December 10, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70547-70548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26729]


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OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY


Orbital Debris Research and Development Interagency Working Group 
Listening Sessions

AGENCY: Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

ACTION: Announcement of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) 
is organizing a series of virtual listening sessions to hear about 
ideas, issues, and potential solutions related to the problem of 
orbital debris from members of the public who have an interest or stake 
in orbital debris research and development. Perspectives gathered 
during the virtual listening sessions will inform the National Science 
and Technology Council (NSTC) Orbital Debris Research and Development 
Interagency Working Group (ODRAD IWG) as it develops a government-wide 
orbital debris implementation plan, examining R&D activities as well as 
other considerations such as policy levers, international engagements, 
and other ideas outside of R&D solutions that may help build a cohesive 
implementation strategy. The implementation plan is a continuation of 
work done for the National Orbital Debris Research and Development Plan 
(January 2021), which was a response to Space Policy Directive--3 (June 
2018), directing the United States to lead the management of traffic 
and mitigate the effects of debris in space.

DATES: 
1. Orbital Debris Remediation: Thursday, December 16, 2021, 1:00 p.m. 
to 3:00 p.m. ET
2. Orbital Debris Mitigation: Thursday, January 13, 2022, 1:00 p.m. to 
3:00 p.m. ET

    Registration deadline:

Orbital Debris Remediation: Wednesday, December 15, 2021, 11:59 p.m. ET
Orbital Debris Mitigation: Wednesday, January 12, 2022, 11:59 p.m. ET

ADDRESSES: Register for a virtual listening session using the session-
specific links below:
1. Debris Remediation: ZOOMLINK Registration [Will be included]
2. Debris Mitigation: ZOOMLINK Registration [Will be included]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ezinne Uzo-Okoro at 
[email protected] or by calling 202-456-4444.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Orbital Debris Interagency Working Group 
has commenced the development of an implementation plan to be released 
in 2022. Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6622, OSTP is soliciting public input 
through these virtual listening sessions to obtain recommendations from 
a wide range of stakeholders, including representatives from diverse 
industries, academia, other relevant organizations and institutions, 
and the general public. The public input provided in response to these 
virtual listening sessions will inform OSTP and NSTC as they work with 
Federal agencies and other stakeholders to develop an Orbital Debris 
implementation plan. This implementation plan builds on the Orbital 
Debris R&D plan published in January 2021.
    Each listening session will be organized around a particular theme 
and audience, described below:
    1. Session on Debris Remediation: Thursday, December 16, 2021, 1:00 
p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET.
    Debris remediation is the active or passive manipulation of debris 
objects to reduce or eliminate the risk they pose to operational space 
assets. This may include fully removing debris from orbit, moving 
debris from orbits that pose a high risk to operational spacecraft into 
lower-risk orbits, and finding ways to repurpose or recycle existing 
debris. Debris remediation activities could substantially reduce the 
risk of debris impact in key orbital regimes. R&D priorities include: 
Develop remediation and repurposing technologies and techniques for 
large-debris objects; Develop remediation technologies and techniques 
for small-debris objects; Develop models for risk and cost-benefit 
analyses. The target audience includes companies interested in 
developing debris remediation services as a line of business, any 
entity that has an interest in being a customer for debris remediation 
services, and researchers performing pre-competitive R&D that supports 
debris remediation capabilities.
    Participants are encouraged to consider potential R&D, policy, 
regulatory, and international partnership actions when answering the 
following questions.

--What is the role of government, private sector, and academia?
--What can the Federal government do to incentivize the development of 
debris remediation capabilities in industry?
--What are the anticipated costs and development timelines for 
developing debris remediation services?

    2. Session on Debris Mitigation: Thursday, January 13, 2022, 1:00 
p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET.

[[Page 70548]]

    Limiting the creation of new debris through deliberate spacecraft 
and launch vehicle design choices may be the most cost-effective 
approach to managing new debris creation in orbit. Debris mitigation 
activities limit the creation of debris in key orbital regimes. Design 
choices could include improving the reliability of critical spacecraft 
subsystems, such as power and propulsion, improving passivation 
techniques, selecting spacecraft materials that can withstand impacts, 
enhanced shielding, and developing cost-effective solutions to improve 
maneuverability and end-of-life safe modes. We invite ideas for U.S. 
government actions to mitigate debris creation from the public 
including expert stakeholders in academia and industry. Actions could 
focus on buying down the risk and cost to implement new technologies to 
limit the creation of new debris, or even on incentives for 
implementing proven technologies for debris mitigation. Participants 
are encouraged to consider potential R&D, policy, regulatory, and 
international partnership actions when answering the following 
questions:

--What is the role of government, private sector, and academia in 
developing debris mitigation solutions?
--What specific actions, R&D or policy, could the government take to 
limit the creation of new debris on-orbit?
--What actions to limit debris creation are well understood, but 
require satellite or launch vehicle owners/operators to be educated or 
incentivized to implement?

    Speakers will have 2 to 3 minutes each to make a comment. As many 
speakers will be accommodated as the scheduled time allows.
    Staff from the IDA Science and Technology Policy Institute will 
facilitate the meeting, which will be recorded for use by the 
Interagency Working Group. Participation in a listening session will 
imply consent to capture participant's names, voices, and likenesses. 
Anything said may be recorded and transcribed for use by the 
Interagency Working Group and publicly released and attributed to 
specific participants. Moderators will manage the discussion and order 
of remarks.
    Individuals unable to attend the listening sessions or who would 
like to provide more detailed information may submit written comments 
to the Request for Comment (RFC) on the Orbital Debris Research and 
Development Plan that was published in the Federal Register [86 FR 
61335, November 5, 2021]

    Dated: December 7, 2021.
Stacy Murphy,
Operations Manager.
[FR Doc. 2021-26729 Filed 12-9-21; 8:45 am]
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