General Dickinson, Commander – US Space Command, visits Ottawa.

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre welcomes Gen. James Dickinson, Commander, United States Space Command to attend bilateral meetings at National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa, ON, 25 Jan 23. (Corporal Doug Burke, D Air PA, Royal Canadian Air Force Public Affairs)

WASHINGTON — Space Command continues to expand cooperation with allies, international partners and industry, Army Gen. Jim Dickinson, who heads the command, said today.

“Two years ago, we had 124 [space] situational awareness data sharing agreements. Today, we have 169: 33 with nations and IGOs; 129 with commercial partners; and seven with academic institutions,” he told the 3rd Annual SPACECOM Legal Conference in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“We will continue to rely on my law team’s expertise to formalize these new partnerships,” he added. “Maintaining the rule of law in outer space is vitally important. Adherence to international legal obligations and respecting the rights of all 16 spacefaring nations is a critical element of maintaining a safe and predictable environment.”

Under the SSA agreements, SPACECOM shares data on the whereabouts, trajectories and any potential threats from satellites, spacecraft and uncontrolled space junk with signatories — and also opens the door to receiving such information from those partner nations. These accords help “enhance the safety, stability, security and sustainability of space operations,” according to SPACECOM’s website.

RELATED: The 5 big worries the Commerce Department has about space traffic management

SPACECOM is providing “spaceflight safety data to 680 global organizations flying 7,400 spacecraft,” Dickinson elaborated. “We also track an additional 41,000 pieces of debris. The number of operational spacecraft and the growth of debris challenge our ability to maintain space domain awareness for operations. So to optimize our limited capabilities, we are leveraging dual-use and non-traditional capabilities across the joint force, as well as our allies and partners.”

Dickinson added that he also is “encouraged” by growth in SPACECOM’s cooperation with industry.

“Our Commercial Integration Strategy is designed to give the command and advantage in competition and conflict,” he said, noting that the strategy’s three “foundational concepts” are buying commercial off-the-shelf products, integration of contract and leased services, and increased partnerships. … Because of the speed of competition with China, Russia, I’m looking for good enough right now.”