The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space has approved a proposal from the United Arab Emirates to create an expert group on space situational awareness.
The UAE’s plan, which was submitted to the committee in February, got the green light during a COPUOS meeting in Vienna last week, according to an announcement from the U.S. Office of Space Commerce. The new group will pursue efforts to strengthen international cooperation on exchanging information on space traffic.
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Space Situational Awareness
OSC said establishing the SSA expert group has broad support among U.N. members, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, China, Russia, Japan, India, Egypt, Nigeria and Brazil. Such broad backing indicates a favorable start for global SSA coordination critical for the safety and sustainability of space operations, the U.S. agency added.
Under the UAE proposal, the expert group will be drawn from nominees volunteered by member states. The plan calls for the group to initiate efforts to enhance global interoperability and harmonize SSA data formats and systems. One goal for 2026 is to hold regular forums to facilitate UN members’ communication on SSA matters.
SSA Center and Services
Montreal-based NorthStar Earth & Space is one company with an SSA stake through an agreement with the Saudi Space Agency in February 2024. Under the deal, the two sides will jointly establish a center of excellence for space situational awareness in the kingdom to promote the sustainability of the Saudi space environment through advanced data analytics and object tracking systems, such as optical, radar and radio frequency sensing technologies.
Months earlier, NorthStar secured $14.7 million in funding from Telesystem Space, the Luxembourg Future Fund and the government of Quebec for its satellite constellation operations. The fund will support the company’s mission to launch four satellites envisioned as part of the world’s first space-based commercial space situational awareness services.