NASA Forms Space Sustainability Division to Monitor Orbital Debris Activity

Illustration of in-orbit debris (photo: dock. NASA)

JAKARTA – NASA has formed a new division called Space Sustainability. With the formation of this new division, NASA wants to focus on efforts to remove debris in orbit or similar problems.

The formation of this new division was announced by NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy on September 19. Melroy said that NASA had received approval from the Congressional Appropriations Committee to form the Space Sustainability division.

Before this division was formed, NASA had eight entities that focused on orbital debris issues. Some of these entities are the Orbital Debris Program Office, the Meteoroid Environment Office, the Conjunction Assessment Risk Analysis program, and others.

In the near future, these eight entities with different roles will be monitored and controlled by the Space Sustainability division. This division will integrate all operational, research, and policy functions that NASA has implemented.

"We can't bring all the organizations under this one umbrella," Melroy said, as quoted by Spacenews. However, what we can do is bring together the organizations that can be brought together and then take action to have a coordinating function."

This division will be part of the Space Operations Mission Directorate led by Alvin Drew, a former NASA Astronaut. Melroy said that this division can access 40 million US dollars (IDR 606 billion) belonging to each orbital debris department.

This access is given so that the allocated funds can be controlled properly, according to the needs of each entity. The Space Sustainability Division will adjust funding to strategy, "so that we (NASA) can use the money effectively."