U.S. Space Traffic System Opens to Foreign Governments
UK, Australia First to Join as National Government Account Users; 52 Pilot Users Now Active
The United States has begun enrolling foreign governments into its Traffic Coordination System for Space, marking the first expansion of the system beyond commercial satellite operators.
“OSC and the TraCSS team recognize the critical role of international coordination to keep space safe.”
Dr. Mariel Borowitz, OSC
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Space Commerce opened National Government Account access as part of its broader effort to build a global space situational awareness coordination framework under Space Policy Directive-3, which directed Commerce to provide space traffic safety data and services to operators worldwide.
The United Kingdom and Australia are the first two governments to onboard as National Government Account users. The accounts are read-only, giving each country access to space safety information for all spacecraft affiliated with their nation.
As of now, TraCSS — the Traffic Coordination System for Space — has 52 pilot users across 21 countries actively onboarded onto the system. Together, those users account for more than 11,000 spacecraft in orbit.
TraCSS launched its direct satellite owner/operator registration process in early 2026 through the TraCSS.gov webpage. The National Government Account tier supplements that pilot program and is intended to give countries visibility into their national spaceflight safety situation without requiring an operational role in the system.
“OSC and the TraCSS team recognize the critical role of international coordination to keep space safe,” said Dr. Mariel Borowitz, OSC’s Head of International SSA Engagement. “TraCSS National Government Accounts give countries a tool to improve their awareness of spaceflight safety and better coordinate with others around the world.”
The system is positioned to become an open, transparent resource for global spacecraft operators. The Office of Space Commerce is also working with EUSST — the European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking program — on data standards covering notification thresholds and service scope. That collaboration reflects the effort to align U.S. and European SSA frameworks as the number of tracked objects in orbit continues to grow.
TraCSS remains in a pilot evaluation phase. Governments interested in joining as National Government Account users can contact the TraCSS Outreach team.