Would Take On Responsibility Of Keeping Satellites From Bumping Into One Another

The FAA may become the agency responsible for being the traffic cops of objects in orbit around the Earth, a role some in the agency have reportedly been eyeing for some time.

The Wall Street Journal reports that there has been a sporadic debate in Washington about which agency should take over the function from the Department of Defense. With some 1,400 commercial satellites already in orbit, many more on the way, and literally tens of thousands of natural and man-made objects circling the Earth, some much faster than a speeding bullet, it has become a serious concern.

The Pentagon would be all too happy to hand over the task to the civilian sector, according to the report. That would allow the DoD to focus its space efforts on protecting military spacecraft from hostile acts such as jamming and threatening maneuvers.

At an international space conference held in Long Beach, CA last week, George Nield, the FAA's associate administrator for commercial space transportation, said the agency is ready to open the talks about having the agency take on the function.

However, any shift is not likely to come until after the November election, and a new administration is put in place.

FMI: www.faa.gov