The House Science, Space and Technology Committee heard testimony from government agency officials on Friday about the growing problem of space debris, the American Forces Press Service reported Monday.Karen Parrish writes that witnesses at the hearing urged space agencies to increase tracking of orbital traffic and to cooperate with foreign nations on space usage.
Lt. Gen. John Raymond, head of the U.S. Strategic Command’s joint force component command for space, told lawmakers that his organization does not have authority to take action against space objects that pose a potential threat to the U.S.
“Over the past few years, we have bolstered our commercial and international partnerships, we’ve implemented two-way sharing agreements, and we’ve worked collaboratively to refine our sharing processes,” said Raymond, according to AFPS.
He added that his organization is working on space-based sensors and a command and control system, according to Parrish’s article.
AFPS reports that hearing attendees agreed that further national and international efforts are needed to eliminate orbital debris and avoid a collision.
The International Space Station has been repositioned 16 times to prevent the habitable satellite from bumping into other space objects, Parrish writes.
