4 ms·

Why exactly is the FAA taking this over? It's clearly stated that the US military is still going to be the primary source for the data. Why not have an open R

by nxzero 10y ago

Why exactly is the FAA taking this over? It's clearly stated that the US military is still going to be the primary source for the data. Why not have an open RFP that anyone is able to provide a proposal and if the a existing agency doesn't win, make it independently run?

idlewords 10y ago
The article explains that the DoD doesn't want the job, and that having tracking run by the military makes multinational cooperation more difficult. How would an RFP work? How are agencies like FAA or NASA or the US Forest Service supposed to bid on this if they don't know they'll have the budget for it?
- nxzero 10y ago
  Military would be required to provide a scope of work, privately state what their budget is, and it would be open to anyone that meets the stated requirement. Congress would review the proposals and select the winner and provide the budget needed. Honestly at this point, strongly feel there needs to be a agency explicitly responsible for commercializing space - and neither FAA or NASA have a track record of doing this.
neurotech1 10y ago
Because providing collision avoidance and other warnings to civilian satellites is not a core activity of the military. Logically, NORAD Air Defense Sector controllers have the radar data to provide traffic advisories to civilian airliners flying outside FAA radar coverage, but they rarely do so. If an unknown aircraft is detected above 18,000ft (i.e possible collision hazard to airline traffic) without a transponder and within the US Air Defense Identification Zone, ADS controllers may attempt contact on emergency guard frequency 121.5, which is commonly monitored by airliners. There are also USAF/USN controllers responsible for specific sectors that may attempt contact. ADS would likely scramble jet fighters too.
pdabbadabba 10y ago
It may be that they envision a regulatory component to these responsibilities which, for both legal and practical reasons, might make it a good idea to move them to a regulatory agency instead of a branch of the military.

by nxzero 10y ago

idlewords 10y ago

The article explains that the DoD doesn't want the job, and that having tracking run by the military makes multinational cooperation more difficult. How would an RFP work? How are agencies like FAA or NASA or the US Forest Service supposed to bid on this if they don't know they'll have the budget for it?

nxzero 10y ago
Military would be required to provide a scope of work, privately state what their budget is, and it would be open to anyone that meets the stated requirement. Congress would review the proposals and select the winner and provide the budget needed. Honestly at this point, strongly feel there needs to be a agency explicitly responsible for commercializing space - and neither FAA or NASA have a track record of doing this.

neurotech1 10y ago

Because providing collision avoidance and other warnings to civilian satellites is not a core activity of the military. Logically, NORAD Air Defense Sector controllers have the radar data to provide traffic advisories to civilian airliners flying outside FAA radar coverage, but they rarely do so. If an unknown aircraft is detected above 18,000ft (i.e possible collision hazard to airline traffic) without a transponder and within the US Air Defense Identification Zone, ADS controllers may attempt contact on emergency guard frequency 121.5, which is commonly monitored by airliners. There are also USAF/USN controllers responsible for specific sectors that may attempt contact. ADS would likely scramble jet fighters too.

pdabbadabba 10y ago

It may be that they envision a regulatory component to these responsibilities which, for both legal and practical reasons, might make it a good idea to move them to a regulatory agency instead of a branch of the military.