The U.S. Department of Commerce has initiated beta testing for a new space traffic coordination system called Traffic Coordination for Space (TraCSS), aimed at improving safety and reducing the risk of collisions in orbit. This system, part of the Office of Space Commerce’s efforts, is designed to provide better tracking and management of satellites and space debris. During the beta phase, the department plans to gather feedback from users to refine the system’s capabilities, with the goal of enhancing operational efficiency and fostering collaboration among various stakeholders in the space industry. The initiative reflects a growing recognition of the need for effective space traffic management as more entities participate in space activities. TraCSS will ultimately replace Space-Track, the service currently provided by the Defense Department. The transition from Space-Track to TraCSS should be complete by the end of 2025, but it will be up to the DoD to determine when it will shut down Space-Track.

The transition from a DoD run system to a DoC run system can present cybersecurity challenges if the DoC’s cybersecurity standards are less stringent than those of the DoD (not that the DoD necessarily has a history of stringent cybersecurity standards). A bad actor who has hacked into TraCSS could insert false objects to force satellites to maneuver and waste precious fuel or to just cause general confusion. In a worst case hackers could prevent detection of a potential conjunction by manipulating ephermous data.

works cited: https://spacenews.com/commerce-begins-beta-tests-of-space-traffic-coordination-system/