Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS)

NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce (OSC) is developing the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) to provide basic space situational awareness (SSA) data and services to civil and private space operators and to support spaceflight safety, space sustainability, and international coordination.

TraCSS will feature 3 distinct components:

  • TraCSS-OASIS: Data repository
  • TraCSS-SKYLINE: SSA application services
  • TraCSS-HORIZON: modeling, simulation, & research environment and development & test environment
TraCSS architecture showing data inputs on the left side, the cloud components in the center, and the users on the right

TracSS is being implemented in a phased “crawl, walk, run” development approach. With each phase, more commercial SSA data and services will be integrated. This will ensure there is no disruption in the government’s provision of basic SSA safety services.

  • Phase 1.0, coming in September 2024, distribute TraCSS-produced conjunction data messages (CDMs) to a beta set of users via the Space-Track.org interface. As the TraCSS user interface matures, OSC will migrate users to TraCSS.gov.
  • Phase 2, slated to begin in FY 2026 focuses on launch collision avoidance.
  • Phase 3 focuses on re-entry assessment/management and other priority areas.

TraCSS logo over Earth with stylized orbits around it and the Sun emerging over the horizon

SPOTLIGHT: Traffic Coordination System for Space Launches Initial Capabilities

On September 30, 2024, OSC announced that the initial phase of TraCSS has begun delivering spaceflight safety services to a beta group of satellite operators. For the first time, satellite operators are receiving basic SSA data and space traffic coordination (STC) services from the Commerce Department.
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