Since the publication of a 2023 RAND report on space traffic management (STM), there has been little progress in establishing an implementation pathway for an international space traffic management (ISTM) system. Yet the need for progress has never been more pressing. The divergence between rapidly evolving operational realities and slowly adapting governance frameworks creates significant risks for space sustainability. The resulting fragmentation of traffic data and standards presents a significant challenge for achieving an ISTM system.
In this new report, the authors operationalize the initial findings and recommendations from earlier research and provide a roadmap for moving from a decentralized context to a common ISTM system, specifically an international space traffic management organization (ISTMO). They identify regional stakeholders in North America, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific; map regional commonalities and differences among those regions’ STM policies, practices, and perspectives; determine the key issues for initial deliberations of an ISTMO; and evaluate perspectives about the funding and staffing structures of a potential ISTMO.
Key Findings
- Strong consensus exists on STM objectives (e.g., safety, sustainability), but significant divergences in implementation approaches (e.g., concepts and resources) necessitate the development of common technical standards and protocols, particularly for space object tracking, conjunction assessment, emergency response, and collision avoidance.
- There are differences among the United States, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific region regarding policy, governance, capabilities, and levels of development. Among the issues shaping perspectives and progress toward an ISTM system are the choice between voluntary cooperation or enforceable standards, the preference for centralized or distributed systems, and the option for market-friendly or more-regulatory-centric approaches.
- The fragmentation among major STM systems (i.e., European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking, U.S. Traffic Coordination System for Space, and Indo-Pacific systems) creates operational inefficiencies, an incomplete operating picture, a lack of inclusivity of perspectives, and complexity for commercial operators. This highlights the need for harmonization that balances regulatory compliance with operational flexibility, particularly in civil-military coordination.
- Several technical and operational issues are shared across the regions. These include the need to communicate rapidly about urgent developments (such as collisions and debris), having access to and sharing the data necessary for object tracking, and ensuring shared technical standards.
Recommendations
- Prioritize STM progress in technical aspects (short term): Spacefaring states and relevant providers of space situational awareness and STM information should prioritize STM progress in technical aspects.
- Pursue a staged approach to STM harmonization (short to medium term): In the short term, spacefaring states, commercial space providers, and space research organizations should prioritize identifying core areas that require immediate harmonization, developing common technical standards, establishing clear interfaces between regulatory systems, and creating mechanisms for frequent regulatory dialogue. Medium-term developments should focus on compatible debris management requirements, coordinated collision avoidance procedures, harmonized data-sharing protocols, and common licensing standards.
- Explore options to enhance standardized STM operational coordination (medium term): Spacefaring states, alongside space operators and space asset owners, should explore options to enhance immediate operational coordination in areas of urgent interest, such as collision avoidance and debris management.
- Advocate for inclusive, multilevel stakeholder systems (long term): Spacefaring states and space agencies should include non-Western perspectives, governments, and operators, and develop better contacts with counterparts in existing or new multilateral institutions. Spacefaring states and commercial space companies should also consider STM capacity-building programs in such areas as standards implementation to build greater global-level cohesion. Finally, the STM research community should pursue a study exploring whether a specialized multilateral agency for STM could overcome some of the challenges of the existing multilateral structure.
