ORBITS Act of 2025

Bill Number: S. 1898
Origin Chamber: Senate
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 1
Policy Area: Science, Technology, Communications
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2026-06-18: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 440.
Last Updated: 2026-06-27T18:26:23Z

AI-Generated Summary

Orbital Sustainability Act of 2025 (ORBITS Act of 2025) S. 1898 – 119th Congress

Purpose

The legislation aims to support a safe and sustainable orbital environment by establishing a demonstration program for active remediation of orbital debris and requiring the development of uniform orbital debris standard practices. It addresses growing risks to space operations from debris in low-Earth orbit and nearby orbits.

Key Provisions

Findings and Sense of Congress (Section 2): Recognizes increasing endangerment of space operations due to orbital debris. Directs the U.S. government to minimize debris through programs and initiatives, lead international mitigation efforts, and encourage best practices by space operators such as data sharing and system reliability.
Definitions (Section 3): Establishes terms including "active debris remediation" (deliberate de-orbit, repurposing, or disposal using external or internal methods, excluding passive means), "orbital debris" (human-made objects no longer serving intended purposes), and related concepts like space traffic coordination.
Active Debris Remediation (Section 4): Requires the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with NASA, the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and others, to publish and periodically update a list of priority orbital debris for remediation within 90 days. Directs NASA to establish a competitive demonstration project within 180 days for research, development, and on-orbit demonstration of remediation technologies, with phased milestones, risk analysis, and consultation requirements. Authorizes $150 million for fiscal years 2026–2030, with rescission of unobligated funds by December 31, 2030. Includes a rule of construction clarifying that NASA gains no new regulatory authority.
Active Debris Remediation Services (Section 5): Authorizes federal agencies to acquire remediation services through fair and open competition under the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to publish a 10-year economic assessment of government and private-sector demand starting in 2026.
Uniform Orbital Debris Standard Practices (Section 6): Directs the National Space Council, in coordination with multiple agencies, to update the Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices within one year. The update must address collision risk, explosion risk, casualty probability, post-mission disposal, time to disposal, collision avoidance, and tracking of smaller debris. Requires consultation with commercial, academic, and nonprofit stakeholders, publication in the Federal Register, use to inform federal regulations, promotion in international discussions, and review at least every five years.
Standard Practices for Space Traffic Coordination (Section 7): Requires the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Department of Defense and others, to facilitate development of on-orbit space traffic coordination standards based on existing guidelines, with routine consultation involving commercial stakeholders, and promotion domestically and internationally.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

This bill introduces new statutory requirements and programs rather than amending specific existing statutes. It creates a new demonstration project authority for NASA, mandates updates to the existing Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices, establishes new coordination and publication duties for the Department of Commerce and National Space Council, and authorizes targeted appropriations. A rule of construction explicitly limits NASA’s regulatory role in related activities.

Potential Impacts

Government Agencies: Expands roles for NASA (demonstration project management), the Department of Commerce (debris list, economic analysis, traffic coordination), and interagency coordination involving the Departments of Defense and State, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Space Council. May increase administrative and technical workload.
Citizens and Commercial Sector: Supports potential commercial opportunities in remediation technologies and services through competitive awards and contracts. Indirect benefits include reduced risks to space-based services.
International Relations: Encourages bilateral and multilateral discussions on standards and promotes U.S. leadership in debris mitigation and remediation, including potential cooperation with partner countries on jurisdiction-specific debris.

Main Stakeholders Affected

Federal agencies (NASA, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of State, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Communications Commission, National Space Council).
Commercial space industry entities (eligible for awards and consultations).
Institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations.
International spacefaring nations and operators.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

The bill emphasizes uniformity in federal regulation of space activities to avoid duplication across licensing agencies. It promotes international cooperation without creating new regulatory powers for NASA. Funding is time-limited with automatic rescission, and all activities remain subject to existing privacy, civil liberties, and classification protections. No direct constitutional issues are addressed in the text; the focus is on policy implementation through existing executive branch structures.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO]

Cosponsors (3)

Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA], Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS], Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY]

Recent Actions

2026-06-18: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 440.
2026-06-18: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz without amendment. With written report No. 119-128.
2026-06-18: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz without amendment. With written report No. 119-128.
2026-02-12: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
2025-05-22: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
2025-05-22: Introduced in Senate

Bill Versions

Orbital Sustainability Act of 2025 — issued 2025-05-22 — PDF (20 pages)
Orbital Sustainability Act of 2025 — issued 2026-06-18 — PDF (22 pages)