Overview
- The White House’s FY2026 budget proposal cuts NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce funding from $65 million to $10 million, which would terminate the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS).
- Seven industry associations representing 450 space, satellite and defense companies sent letters to House and Senate appropriations leaders ahead of Commerce-Justice-Science markups seeking to maintain the office’s $65 million budget.
- TraCSS was launched under President Donald Trump’s 2018 directive to provide civilian space situational awareness data and help operators avoid satellite collisions.
- Industry groups caution that eliminating civilian coordination would revert traffic management to the Department of Defense, conflating safety services with military priorities.
- Congress faces a decision this week on whether to restore full OSC funding and preserve U.S. leadership in shaping global space traffic norms.