NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy announced the establishment of a new space sustainability division that will consolidate the agency’s orbital debris-related activities, SpaceNews reported Saturday.
At a conference held Thursday, the previous Wash100 awardee stated that the space agency received the needed congressional approvals to form the division, which she said will serve as a “unified organization that will integrate our operational, research and policy functions.”
The newly established division will be led by former astronaut Alvin Drew and operate as part of the Space Operations Mission Directorate, which includes the International Space Station.
“If you have an operational mission, having it under operational control is really helpful,” Melroy said. “That’s the day-to-day urgent mission. We’re keeping astronauts and our spacecraft safe.”
According to the deputy administrator, the division will have access to approximately $40 million in funding spread across the agency.
In July, Melroy offered an update on NASA’s implementation of the Space Sustainability Strategy, which the agency introduced in April.