US Bill to Strengthen Space Cooperation Among QUAD Nations

US Senators Michael Bennet and Kevin Cramer have introduced a bipartisan bill to strengthen space cooperation among QUAD nations.

Bennet says the Quad Space Act will bolster the capacity of the US, Australia, Japan, and India to operate safely and securely in space.

“The United States should expand cooperation, through the Quad, with the Government of Australia, the Government of India, and the Government of Japan to address shared security challenges, particularly in space,” the bill’s text reads.

“As China and Russia rapidly develop dangerous space capabilities and behave recklessly in space, the United States must bolster cooperation with our Quad partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Bennet, a Democrat Senator from Colorado.

The bill’s co-sponsor, Kramar, a Republican from North Dakota, says maintaining space dominance is vital to protecting the stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.

“The Quad’s alignment addresses shared security challenges between our countries,” he said. “We recognise the importance of space as a strategic domain.”

Specifically, the bill to strengthen space cooperation among QUAD nations imposes certain obligations on the Secretary of Defense. The Act will obligate the Secretary to initiate discussions with the Quad partners about best space practices. He or she must also raise space situational awareness and space industrial policy matters with Quad partners.

Further, the Secretary must report to Congress about identified areas of cooperation and potential steps to formalise such cooperation.

Under the proposed bill, those partner nation discussions must occur within 180 days of the bill’s enactment. The Secretary must report on those discussions to the Committees of Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives within 270 days.

Bennet describes himself as a leading advocate of continued US and allied space superiority. He claims that he secured over USD216 million last year to improve US military readiness and capabilities in the space domain. The Senator has a track record of interest in Indo-Pacific affairs.

Cramer is co-chair of the Senate Space Force Caucus and chair of the Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee. “The Quad Space Act protects our interests by deepening space cooperation with trusted partners,” he said.

The Quad Space Act does not propose any additional funding or programs. However, the Senators reportedly hope to include it as an item of special interest in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

Both the US Space Force and US Space Command have said the US needs closer space domain coordination with Allies.

The proposed bill closely follows the US Space Force’s Indo-Pacific Commander Brig. Gen. Anthony J. Mastalir telling a Sydney audience that space played a growing role in regional security.

Speaking at the Australian Space Summit, Mastalir said Indo-Pacific security challenges required a “robust, integrative response.” He said Australia played an important role in US defence strategy. Mastalir called its Quad partner an “essential pillar of deterrence” in the region.

The Brigadier General said a joint strategic vision for the Indo-Pacific should focus on deterrence and responsible space operations. He said there should be a unified approach to space domain challenges.

“Every challenge we face is also an opportunity,” Mastalir said.

The process to enact the annual National Defense Authorization Act update generally starts in early February.