Space Regulatory Glossary Agencies

Office of Space Commerce

noun

1. A bureau within NOAA and the U.S. Department of Commerce responsible for promoting the growth of the commercial space industry and administering remote sensing licensing. Increasingly positioned as the lead civil agency for space situational awareness and space traffic management.
2. In 2024, the Office of Space Commerce began developing the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS), intended to become the civil counterpart to the Department of Defense's space tracking capabilities and provide conjunction warnings to all satellite operators.

Read: U.S. Space Regulatory Compliance

Related terms

NOAA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A U.S. federal agency within the Department of Commerce that… remote sensing license A license issued by NOAA authorizing a private entity to operate a system that collects data about Earth from space. space traffic management The set of regulatory, technical, and operational measures for safely coordinating the movement of objects in space —… space situational awareness The knowledge and characterization of the space environment, including the location, trajectory, and status of natural… Department of Commerce The U.S. federal executive department responsible for promoting economic growth, trade, and technological innovation.…

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