U.S. Strategic Command and United Arab Emirates’ national space agency have agreed to exchange space services and data in a joint effort to ensure the safety of operations in low-Earth orbit.Stratcom said Monday that U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Clinton Crosier, the command’s director of plans and policy, and UAE Space Agency Chairman Khalifa Al Romaithi signed a memorandum of understanding for the data sharing arrangement Monday at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs.
“We must be able to maintain situational awareness, act where necessary, and as stated in the 2010 Space Policy, preserve the space environment,” said U.S. Navy Adm. Cecil Haney, Stratcom’s commander.
“Recognizing an evolving and diverse space environment — and a need to preserve access in space — it is imperative we work with and leverage our key allies and partners like the United Arab Emirates to increase situational awareness in space,” Haney added.
Stratcom has existing space data agreements with 10 other countries, the European Space Agency, the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites and 50 commercial satellite businesses.
The agreement aims to spell out how Stratcom’s partners request information for launch missions, satellite maneuver, on-orbit support, electromagnetic interference reporting, satellite decommissioning and on-orbit conjunction assessments.
