The United States has expressed its commitment to the peaceful exploration and use of outer space at the 64th Session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Legal Subcommittee (COPUOS LSC) in Vienna, Austria. U.S. Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Barry Fullerton delivered a statement highlighting several key points.
Fullerton began by acknowledging the efforts of Director Aarti Holla-Maini and the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs in preparing for the session. He also welcomed Djibouti and Latvia as new members of UNCOPUOS and extended condolences to Poland for the loss of Ambassador Andrzej Misztal.
"The United States reaffirms the importance of the use and exploration of outer space in advancing humanity," Fullerton stated, aligning with the 2020 U.S. National Space Policy that supports peaceful space activities benefiting all humanity.
Fullerton noted that 18 more countries have signed the Artemis Accords since their last meeting, bringing the total to 54 signatories committed to safe, transparent, and responsible space exploration. The accords include commitments such as providing lunar mission data parameters to the United Nations.
He further discussed plans under Agenda Item 12 regarding a global system for space situational awareness. The U.S. Department of Commerce is developing TraCSS (Traffic Coordination System for Space), which will provide situational awareness information globally to support spaceflight safety and sustainability.
The statement emphasized collaboration with commercial endeavors as crucial for unlocking technological innovation and scientific discovery in outer space. Fullerton urged open deliberations during this session to consider supporting non-governmental actors while adhering to international legal obligations.
"Thank you, Chair," concluded Fullerton's address at COPUOS LSC's agenda item discussion.