AMOS 2018 Dialogue Report

The 2018 AMOS Dialogue, co-hosted by Secure World Foundation and the Maui Economic Development Board, took place during the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference from September 11–14, 2018. This small, invitation-only workshop brought together experts to examine how space situational awareness (SSA) intersects with commercial rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) and on-orbit servicing (OOS).

Participants discussed how licensing and oversight for commercial space servicing remains a work in progress, particularly in the United States. The dialogue emphasized the need for new SSA capabilities tailored to support RPO and OOS across different orbital regimes and highlighted challenges around regulatory reform, international coordination, and the integration of “big data” analytics. Concerns about transparency, consent in space-to-space imaging, and the need for international best practices also surfaced.

Key takeaways included the growing importance of multi-source SSA data, the role of government-industry partnerships, and the evolving standards required for safe and sustainable satellite servicing.