ORBITS Act of 2025
AI Summary
The ORBITS Act of 2025 establishes a federal program to address the growing hazard of space junk by directing NASA to fund demonstration projects for the active removal of debris. The bill requires the Department of Commerce to maintain a prioritized list of dangerous orbital objects and mandates an update to national orbital debris mitigation standards. It also encourages the development of space traffic coordination practices to prevent future collisions in Earth's orbit.
Impact & Passage
Composite Passage Score
Medium confidenceBased on 3 of 5 available signals
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LLM-only estimate
The bill enjoys strong bipartisan support from leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee, including both the Chair and Ranking Member. Similar versions of this legislation have passed the Senate in previous sessions with unanimous consent, and the increasing commercial and national security risks posed by orbital debris have created a sense of urgency that makes passage highly likely in the 119th Congress.
Provisions
Designates the official title of the bill as the 'Orbital Sustainability Act of 2025' or the 'ORBITS Act of 2025'.
Outlines the dangers of orbital debris to space missions and asserts that the U.S. government should lead efforts to minimize debris and encourage international cooperation.
Defines key terms used in the bill, such as 'active debris remediation', 'orbital debris', and 'eligible entity'.
Directs the Department of Commerce to identify high-priority debris for removal and mandates NASA to establish a $150 million competitive demonstration project for private companies to develop debris removal technology.
Encourages federal agencies to purchase debris removal services from commercial providers and requires an economic analysis of the future market for such services.
Requires the National Space Council to update official government standards for minimizing orbital debris, including rules on collision avoidance and post-mission disposal.
Directs the Secretary of Commerce to develop and promote standard practices for coordinating space traffic to prevent on-orbit collisions.
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Version History
Actions
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.