MITRE Response to Notice 11630: Seeking Private Sector Written Input on Implementation of the 21 Guidelines for
the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities - SOLICITATION FOR FEDERAL REGISTER, JULY 8,
2022:
MITRE is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the U.S. State Department's request for industry input regarding
the United Nations Long Term Sustainability Guidelines. Space activities are a critical component of the national and
international space enterprise that MITRE designs, builds, and secures—making our world safer and more prosperous.
As space transitions from a government-led, specialized infrastructure to a multi-player, commodity-based system of
systems, MITRE places the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities at the center of our thinking.
MITRE knows tomorrow's space environment will be more complex and crowded than ever. Vehicles will
increasingly become commodities, configured and deployed quickly. Many will be highly autonomous, with off-the-
shelf vulnerabilities leaving them open to cyber-attack and other vulnerabilities.
Combining decades of knowledge and highly skilled staff, MITRE serves as an impartial and objective advisor. (free
of commercial conflicts of interest) MITRE is an R&D innovation partner to the U.S. and international organizations,
focusing on all aspects of space infrastructure design, spanning policy framework formulation, spaceflight safety
operations, and capacity building. This breadth of scope allows MITRE to function as a go-between, fostering and
cementing technology-related relationships and discussions across many levels of government, commerce, and
academia.
What concrete actions your organization has taken to improve the long-term sustainability of outer space and what
specific LTS guidelines correspond to those actions?
Specifically, the following MITRE efforts directly align with LTS guidelines as indicated below:
1. Sensor Network Autonomous Resilient Extensible (SNARE) - SNARE is a MITRE architectural and
operational concept (in prototype) that uses permissioned blockchain for a space-based sensor network
that is sensor agnostic and extensible. It enables traditional and non-traditional sensor data to achieve
greater observational capacity and information gain. SNARE uses permissioned blockchain to record
orbital element sets from space sensors. SNARE enables a new collection approach that provides a
candidate replacement for the legacy centralized daily collection regimen with a new regimen that
continually collects data from sets of decentralized, shared, or distributed sensor sources. Each sensor
schedules its collection, coordinating with other sensors by recording collects on a shared blockchain
network. A MITRE test against 1,000 randomly chosen orbiting objects, SNARE demonstrated that its
use could provide an average improvement of the accuracy of space cataloged objects by 0.8 kilometers,
and "over 10 percent of the catalog had accuracy improved by more than 3.0 kilometers." In addition,
and just as important, SNARE decreased by six hours the average time it takes to re-find an object after
it maneuvers. It also significantly reduced the gap time in coverage of objects. SNARE can provide three
key revolutionary capabilities for space situational awareness: "autonomous sensor management, change
detection, and dynamic tipping and queuing" of other sensors when an object of particular interest is
seen. Blockchain technology provides resiliency to attacks and accidents for tamper-evident and highly
available records. In essence, SNARE provides immutable transparency of resident space objects
contributing to trust and confidence-building measures and a scalable collective picture for space domain
awareness. Validity for false narratives is reduced, and automated discovery of anomalous normative
behaviors enhances decision making and makes treaties violations or irresponsible use of orbital space
apparent to all.
Related LTS Guidelines: A3, A5, B1, B2, B3, B4, C1, C3, C4
2. Collaboration with Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) and Critical Infrastructure thought
leadership – MITRE is a founding member and significant contributor to the space ISAC. Sector-based
Information Sharing and Analysis Centers collaborate via the National Council of ISACs. Formed in 2003,
the NCI today comprises 27 organizations. It is a coordinating body designed to maximize information flow
across the private sector critical infrastructures and with the government. Information Sharing and Analysis
Centers help critical infrastructure owners and operators protect their facilities, personnel, and customers from
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