[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 17 (Thursday, January 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4970-4973]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01556]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID: 0648-XV190]
Request for Information on Scope of Civil Space Situational
Awareness Services
AGENCY: Office of Space Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for information.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Department), via the Office
of Space Commerce (OSC) in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), requests additional input from interested
parties on OSC's currently planned scope of basic safety services to be
provided via the Traffic Management System for Space (TraCSS) program.
This input will inform OSC's development of capabilities to share SSA
data, information and services to space operators and the public.
DATES: Responses are due on or before February 27, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Interested individuals and organizations should submit
written comments on issues addressed in this notification by the
following method:
By Email to: [email protected]. Include the title of
this Request for Information (RFI) in the subject line of the message.
Instructions: Response to this RFI is voluntary. Attachments will
be accepted in plain text, Microsoft Word, or Adobe PDF formats only.
Respondents need not reply to all questions listed. Each individual or
institution is requested to submit only one response. All comments
received are part of the public record and may be posted, without
change, on a Federal website. All identifying information (e.g., name,
address) submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly
accessible. OSC, therefore, requests that no business proprietary
information, copyrighted information, or personally identifiable
information be submitted in response to this RFI. Please note that the
U.S. Government will not pay for response preparation, or for the use
of any information contained in the response.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Dyer, Office of Space Commerce,
(202) 482-4731; [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
NOAA's Office of Space Commerce (OSC) is exploring the scope of a
basic safety service for space situational awareness (SSA) services of
active satellites and debris in preparation of future OSC SSA products.
As described in Space Policy Directive-3 (SPD-3) (https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2018-13521) and the 2021 United States Space
Priorities Framework (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/United-States-Space-Priorities-Framework-_-December-1-2021.pdf), OSC is charged providing basic SSA safety services to all
space operators, including conjunction analysis and warning services
and making those basic services free of direct user fees while
supporting new opportunities for U.S. commercial and non-profit SSA
services.
SPD-3 proposed these services be part of an ``Open Architecture
Data Repository'' which OSC will now refer to as TraCSS. TraCSS will
provide satellite tracking data and associated products and services to
support all private and civil space satellite owner/operators (O/Os).
TraCSS will ingest the various available data sources and data types
for analysis to support the tracking of debris and space objects. The
scope of the initial operating capability, the basic safety service, is
the primary subject of interest of this RFI.
OSC greatly appreciated responses to prior RFIs, most recently from
its RFI published on July 8, 2022 (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/07/08/2022-14516/request-for-information-on-industry-needs-for-space-situational-awareness-data-and-value-added). Since that
time, in addition to closely reviewing those responses, OSC has
concluded a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Defense,
formalizing the organizations' relationship for basic SSA, space
traffic management (STM), and coordination for civil and commercial
entities. OSC also initiated a pilot project to provide spaceflight
safety mission assurance to select spacecraft in the medium Earth orbit
(MEO) and geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), partnering with the
Department of Defense to award seven contracts to U.S. commercial space
firms for space situational awareness data analysis.
With this additional insight, OSC has further refined its planned
SSA program. OSC has defined its view of the core U.S. Government
interests in the provision of basic SSA safety services, and based on
that principle, has outlined its anticipated basic SSA safety services
and the appropriate mix of commercial and governmental resources to
provide those services with greater granularity.
In this RFI, OSC seeks public input broadly from the space
community on OSC's definition of core U.S. Government interests in the
provision of basic SSA safety services and its refined plan to meet
those interests through the TraCSS, including from spacecraft
operators, SSA data providers (current and prospective, ground and
space-based), SSA analytic and value-added service providers, academia,
nonprofit entities, space insurance providers, and the legal community.
II. Description of Basic Safety SSA Services
OSC will provide basic SSA safety services through TraCSS to meet
the core U.S. Government interest to further safety, stability, and
sustainability in space and increase U.S. commercial leadership in
space. Provision of these services is vital for the commercial growth
of the American economy and to promote national security. These
services can help reconcile the growing use of orbital space with the
effective management of this domain.
The scope of basic SSA safety services is limited to those
necessary to maintain the safety, stability, and sustainability of the
increasingly congested and contested space environment. Basic SSA
safety services can include additional services that significantly
increase the safety, stability, and sustainability of the space
environment. However, OSC will also consider whether the provision of
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such services will negatively impact the U.S. SSA industry. The precise
demarcation between these basic SSA safety services and other advanced
services is driven by present SSA needs and market dynamics. Given the
rapid acceleration of technological advances, OSC is committed to
continue to observe changes in the marketplace and its underlying
technologies, and consider how these developments, along with SSA
service needs, might shift the demarcation between basic and advanced
services as time goes on. Where a service is judged to be a ``basic
service,'' OSC is also interested in whether the service should be
provided by the government or should be purchased by the government
from a commercial vendor and redistributed to TraCSS users.
The list of orbital safety services below derives from existing
practices by the Department of Defense (DoD) and National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA), augmented by other services that
commercial entities have previously proposed and responses to prior
RFIs. ``Included'' indicates that a particular service is being
considered for inclusion in the ``free of fee'' service through TraCSS
that the OSC intends to provide to any satellite O/O willing to accept
the tenets of participation (e.g., the sharing of O/O predicted
ephemerides). ``Not Included'' indicates that a particular service is
currently not being considered to be provided by the OSC through
TraCSS.
(1) Satellite Attributes, Capabilities, Status, and Point of
Contact (Included). To maintain a database of primary (protected)
assets, which contains basic satellite attributes (approximate
dimensions, mass), indicates satellite trajectory change capabilities
and current status, and includes 24/7/365 contact information to
coordinate mitigation actions for conjunctions between active
satellites.
(2) Receipt and Sharing of Predictions O/Os Ephemerides (Included).
To receive predicted ephemerides from O/Os, store them in a manner that
makes them available for download by other interested O/Os, and use
them as the representation of the primary object for collision
assessments (CA) screenings, risk assessment, and (when appropriate)
mitigation planning.
(3) Routine Collision Assessment (CA) Screening and Conjunction
Data Message (CDM) Production (Included). To screen primary objects
against a robust satellite catalog, both routinely and on demand; and
to generate CDMs for objects that violate the particular physical
volumes used for the screening activity.
(4) Special CA Screening and CDM Production (Included). To perform
an on-demand screening against a robust satellite catalog for a
particular submitted ephemeris or set of ephemerides (usually for a
confirmatory or speculative screening as part of maneuver planning).
(5) Data Quality Evaluation (Included). To perform a first-order
evaluation of the orbit determination and propagation of the (usually
secondary but in principle both) objects' state estimates and co-
variances in order to determine whether these inputs are of sufficient
quality to serve as a basis for a durable risk assessment calculation
(6) Launch Collision Avoidance (COLA) Screenings (Included). To
perform timely screenings of a set of launch nominals against a robust
satellite catalog in order to identify specific launch times during a
launch window that would create unacceptably high collision risk and
therefore should not be used.
(7) O/O Ephemeris Generation and Curation with Covariance
(Included). To use O/O telemetry and on-board global positioning system
state information, as well as potentially other commercial tracking
information, to generate a reliable predicted O/O ephemeris that
includes covariance at each ephemeris point and incorporates planned
maneuvers (and maneuver execution error).
(8) Re-entry Management and Assessment (Included). To perform re-
entry forecasting and event pacing assistance for primary objects
undergoing either natural decays or managed deorbits in order to assist
the DoD in orchestrating the overall decay and decataloguing process.
(9) Precision Probability of Collision Calculation (Included). To
include in each generated CDM a Probability of Collision (PC)
calculation that uses more advanced approaches for determining the
appropriate hard-body radius (HBR) and employs a calculation technique
appropriate to the particular dynamics of the encounter.
(10) Collision Consequence and Debris Production Potentials
(Included). To calculate, using an appropriate model, an estimate of
the number of trackable debris fragments that would be generated if a
particular conjunction were to result in a collision.
(11) Conjunction Object Solution Improvements with Additional
Tracking (Included). To obtain additional tracking on the satellites
involved in conjunctions of interest (typically the secondary objects),
improve these objects' predicted states at the conjunction time of
closest approach (TCA), and calculate higher-fidelity risk assessment
metrics with this improved information.
(12) Expected Tracking Determination (Included). To generate a pass
schedule and probabilities of detection for obtaining additional
commercial tracking for conjunction-related objects, so that O/Os can
infer the potential benefit of additional tracking and be able to
schedule mitigation action decision points appropriately.
(13) Risk Assessment Time History Plots (Included). To produce
time-history plots of conjunction risk assessment parameters of
interest to allow assessment of conjunction event phasing and
stability.
(14) Space Weather Sensitivity (Included). To provide warnings
about space weather perturbative events and to assess the effects the
perturbation-induced atmospheric density uncertainty will have on
conjunction risk assessment parameters.
(15) Fusion of CA Products (Not Included). To combine CA products,
such as CDMs or predicted ephemerides, from multiple providers into a
single, higher-fidelity product that can then be used to enable CA risk
assessment.
(16) PC Variability (Not Included). By considering bounding scale
factors for the ``true'' size of the primary and secondary objects'
covariances, to generate a matrix of possible PC values to allow risk
assessors to assign a more conservative ``high-water-mark'' PC value.
(17) Additional Concierge Services (Not Included). To provide on-
call, personalized telephone support at all times by CA subject matter
experts to assist O/Os with the interpretation of conjunction screening
and risk assessment products.
(18) Anomaly Resolution (Not Included). To arrange for the
obtaining and interpretation of anomaly resolution SSA products, such
as point signatures (radar cross-section and/or photometry), time-
series satellite signatures, and radar and optical imaging.
(19) Design-time Assistance for Improved CA (Not Included). During
the satellite construction and mission design phase, to assist O/Os in
the prudent selection of mission orbits, satellite construction
decisions to produce favorable light pollution properties, and the
proper build-out of effective O/O ephemeris construction and CA
software and procedures.
(20) Maneuver Trade Space (Not Included). To assemble a visual aid
that identifies particular maneuver times and intensities (and, for
some maneuver types, durations) to achieve the desired
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level of conjunction risk reduction (for both the main conjunction and
any other conjunctions that the particular maneuver might introduce).
(21) Optimized Maneuver Recommendations (Not Included). In addition
to the parameters in service (20) above, to include satellite contact
restrictions, spacecraft maneuverability limitations, and O/O
optimality preferences to construct a recommended maneuver plan to
mitigate the main conjunction and ensure against the creation of any
serious derivative conjunctions.
(22) Breakup Detection, Tracking, and Cataloguing (Not Included).
To commission routine surveillance tracking to detect satellite break-
ups; and upon the detection of a break-up, to increase supplementary
surveillance tracking to collect break-up uncorrelated tracks (UCT),
perform UCT processing, obtain dedicated tracking on new candidate
objects, and suggest/perform cataloging actions for stable candidates
for which the country of origin can be established.
(23) Maneuver Detection and Processing (Not Included). To
commission heightened surveillance tracking on maneuverable objects;
execute maneuver detection algorithms against the tracking obtained
from such heightened surveillance; and for objects for which maneuvers
are detected, perform appropriate maneuver processing to create a
durable post-maneuver state estimate.
III. Questions To Inform Development of Basic SSA Safety Services
OSC seeks responses to three categories of questions, and invites
any member of the public to provide input:
A. Scope of Proposed Basic SSA Safety Services;
B. Impacts of Proposed Basic SSA Safety Services on Commercial SSA
Providers;
C. Tenets of Participation and Receipt of Basic SSA Safety
Services; and
D. General Feedback.
Respondents are encouraged to explain how the capabilities to be
provided by OSC's TraCSS can be structured to enable a competitive and
burgeoning U.S. commercial space sector. Responses may also explain how
the U.S. Government can work with industry and international partners
in the development of open, transparent, and credible international
standards, policies, and practices that will aid in the provision of
these basic SSA safety services.
A. Scope of Proposed Basic SSA Safety Services
OSC seeks to clearly define and communicate the scope of basic
safety SSA services to enable industry innovation of advanced services.
OSC seeks responses regarding which SSA services should be included as
part of TraCSS. OSC understands that the need to provide certain
services through TraCSS may change over time. Similarly, some services
may be necessary to include in the TraCSS initial offering only and
others should be added in the future. For each of the services
discussed above, OSC is seeking public input about whether the service
should be included in TraCSS, and if so, whether it should be part of
the initial offering or added in the future. Additionally, OSC seeks
input on whether the services should be developed by the government or
purchased from commercial vendors and redistributed. Furthermore, OSC
invites comment on the following questions for each of the services:
Does the proposed basic safety SSA service provide
sufficient data to allow ongoing operations of orbital assets at a
level equal to or beyond that currently provided by the DoD?
What proposed basic safety SSA services are essential to
your ongoing operations? If the U.S. Government were to prioritize the
delivery of individual services as part of TraCSS, which ones should be
provided soonest?
What, if any, additional capabilities beyond those
currently provided by the DoD should be included in the TraCSS?
Are there any additional capabilities not listed that
should be included in the basic SSA safety service to provide a
baseline level of safety for owners and operators?
Where applicable, at what level or how often should the
service be performed? For example, comments may address how often
routine collision assessments should be conducted as part of the basic
SSA safety service. DoD currently provides these assessments three
times a day. How often should OSC's basic safety SSA service provide
these assessments?
B. Impacts of Proposed Basic SSA Safety Services on Commercial SSA
Providers
OSC's provision of basic SSA safety services through TraCSS is
intended to advance safety, stability, and sustainability in space and
help the domestic commercial SSA industry grow. OSC is evaluating the
potential impacts that the basic SSA safety services provided through
TraCSS may have on the commercial SSA industry. OSC is seeking public
input on whether there are any concerns with respect to commercial SSA
providers with their own services or other value-added providers that
may rely on governmental SSA basic safety services. Furthermore, OSC
invites comment on the following questions:
Are any of the basic SSA safety services readily available
from the current U.S. SSA industry? If so, is the service affordable to
owners and operators of spacecraft?
For commercial SSA service providers, does the current SSA
capability offered by the DoD have any impacts on your current or
future product offerings?
For commercial SSA service providers, do any of the basic
SSA safety services identified for inclusion in TraCSS have any impacts
or implications on your current or future product offerings? If so,
which services proposed to be part of TraCSS would have an impact on
your offerings and why?
For O/Os, are any of the basic SSA safety services
identified for inclusion in TraCSS duplicative of what O/Os of
spacecraft are already responsible for obtaining or providing?
Are there unique advantages to the government purchasing
and redistributing certain commercial services rather than leaving
these to the commercial marketplace?
C. Tenets of Participation and Receipt of Basic SSA Safety Services
OSC is seeking public input regarding what should be required to
receive ``free of fee'' basic SSA safety services through TraCSS. OSC
recognizes that certain basic SSA safety services should be made
publicly available. For example, space objects from a current DoD
catalog that are not sensitive to national security are currently made
accessible to the public through the Space-Track.org website. OSC also
recognizes that other basic SSA safety services should be available to
all owners and operators. In response to previous RFIs, some comments
suggested that OSC require owners and operators to provide operational
information or act in good faith in response to the basic SSA safety
services in order to participate in TraCSS. OSC also invites comment on
the following questions:
Which basic SSA safety services identified for inclusion
in TraCSS should be made publicly available?
What, if any, information should owners and operators of
spacecraft be
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required to provide to OSC to participate in TraCSS?
What, if any, actions should owners and operators agree to
take to participate in TraCSS as part of the tenets of participation?
What should happen when owners or operators fail to
provide the relevant information to OSC or fail to take actions
consistent with the tenets of participation?
D. General Feedback
OSC welcomes feedback about any other related topics. For example,
are there any matters not discussed above that OSC should or must
consider before it provides basic SSA safety services through TraCSS?
IV. How To Submit Your Response
To facilitate review of your responses, please reference the
subject of the RFI in your response. You may respond to some or all of
the topic areas covered in the RFI, and you can suggest other factors
or relevant questions. You may also include links to online material or
interactive presentations. If including data sets, please make the data
available in a downloadable, machine-readable format with accompanying
metadata.
Please note that this is an RFI only. In accordance with the
implementing regulations of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA),
specifically 5 CFR 1320.3(h)(4), this general solicitation is exempt
from the PRA. Facts or opinions submitted in response to general
solicitations of comments from the public, published in the Federal
Register or other publications, regardless of the form or format
thereof, provided that no person is required to supply specific
information pertaining to the commenter, other than that necessary for
self-identification, as a condition of the agency's full consideration,
are not generally considered information collections and therefore not
subject to the PRA.
This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes; it
does not constitute a request for proposals, applications, proposal
abstracts, or quotations. This RFI does not commit the U.S. Government
to contract for any supplies or services or make a grant award.
Further, we are not seeking proposals through this RFI and will not
accept unsolicited proposals. Choosing not to respond to this RFI does
not preclude participation in any future procurement, if conducted.
Dated: January 23, 2023.
Richard DalBello,
Director, Office of Space Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-01556 Filed 1-25-23; 8:45 am]
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