Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations
{{Short description|Program started by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency}}
{{Orphan|date=July 2023}}
The [https://satelliteconfers.org Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations (CONFERS)] was a program started by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in 2017.{{Cite web |date=December 16, 2016 |title=CONFERS Proposers Day |url=https://www.darpa.mil/news-events/confers-proposers-day |access-date=July 29, 2023 |website=darpa.mil}} The goal was to address the lack of widely accepted technical and safety standards for on-orbit servicing activities involving commercial satellites.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=SpaceNews |date=2023-12-05 |title=The 2023 SpaceNews Icon Awards: Winners |url=https://spacenews.com/the-2023-spacenews-icon-awards-winners/ |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}} In partnership with NASA, the CONFERS program was to establish a permanent, self-sustaining, and independent forum where industry could engage with the U.S. Government to collaborate and create standards for on-orbit servicing.{{Cite web |title=Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations (CONFERS) |url=https://www.darpa.mil/program/consortium-for-execution-of-rendezvous-and-servicing-operations |access-date=July 29, 2023 |website=darpa.mil}}
In 2017, DARPA provided funding to Advanced Technology International to form the consortium as an industry-led initiative.{{Cite web |title=CONFERS establishing international standards for satellite operations |url=https://www.ati.org/success-stories/confers-establishing-international-standards-for-satellite-operations/ |access-date=July 29, 2023 |website=Advanced Technology International}} Since 2018, CONFERS has held the annual Global Satellite Servicing Forum & Exhibition.{{Cite web |title=Global Satellite Servicing Forum – CONFERS |url=https://satelliteconfers.org/gssf/ |access-date=2023-07-29 |language=en-US}}
In 2022, International Standards Organization (ISO) adopted CONFERS’ standard as ISO 24330, Space systems — Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) and On Orbit Servicing (OOS).{{Cite web |title=ISO 24330:2022 - Space systems - Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) and On Orbit Servicing (OOS) - Programmatic principles and practices |url=https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/iso/iso243302022?msclkid=dfdfcf5917081da17e4cab9c73e38fa0 |access-date=2023-07-29 |website=webstore.ansi.org}}
In October 2022, CONFERS transitioned from DARPA and reincorporated itself as the independent, member-supported, non-profit [501(c)(6)] global trade association developing industry-led recommendations for voluntary consensus standards and guiding international policies for satellite servicing that contribute to a sustainable, safe, and diverse space economy.{{Cite web |title=CONFERS |url=https://satelliteconfers.org/ |access-date=2023-07-29 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=CONFERS |url=https://www.darpa.mil/program/consortium-for-execution-of-rendezvous-and-servicing-operations |access-date=2023-07-29 |website=www.darpa.mil}}