0648-TraCSS Supporting Statement Part A

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

U.S. Department of Commerce

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS)

OMB Control No. 0648-TraCSS

Abstract

This is a request for a new information collection. This collection will support the registration process for the new U.S. civil space situational awareness (SSA) system, the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS). As directed in Space Policy Directive 3 (SPD-3), this system will “make available basic SSA data and basic [space traffic management] STM services free of direct user fees” and will “improve SSA data interoperability and enable greater SSA data sharing.” This basic safety service is essential to protect existing space assets that provide important contributions to the economy and national security. These assets can be put at risk by the debris created by unintentional collisions, even if they aren’t directly involved. A safe and sustainable space environment is also necessary for continued commercial investment in space activities.

Users of the system - specifically, spacecraft owners/operators and national governments, are asked to provide information when they register for the system. This information includes organizational information and information about the spacecraft affiliated with the organization. This information is necessary to ensure that entities receive the appropriate safety services and information relevant to their spacecraft. Information provided about these spacecraft can also help to improve the accuracy and overall quality of services. Spacecraft operators are also asked to provide information on an ongoing basis, including spacecraft ephemerides and maneuver plans, to improve the accuracy and overall quality of services.

Justification

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection. Attach a copy of the appropriate section of each statute and regulation mandating or authorizing the collection of information.

TraCSS is being developed to implement President Trump’s direction in Space Policy Directive 3 (SPD-3) for the Department of Commerce which states, “To ensure safe coordination of space traffic in this future operating environment, and in recognition of the need for DoD to focus on maintaining access to and freedom of action in space, a civil agency should be the focal point for this collision avoidance support service. The Department of Commerce should be that civil agency.”

NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce (OSC) is the principal unit for space commerce policy activities within the Department of Commerce. Its mission is to foster the conditions for the economic growth and technological advancement of the U.S. commercial space industry. The Office plays three primary roles in supporting industry: 1) Policy advocacy; 2) Regulation of private remote sensing space systems; and 3) Provision of space situational awareness services. OSC is developing the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) to provide basic space situational awareness (SSA) data and services to civil and private space operators in support of spaceflight safety.

2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection.

Participation in TraCSS is voluntary. However, users of the TraCSS system must provide some information when registering for the system and are requested to keep the information up to date. Specifically, spacecraft owners/operators and national governments provide organizational information (e.g., organization name, country of headquarters, and contact information) and basic information about the spacecraft affiliated with their organization (spacecraft name, NORAD ID, etc.). This information is used to ensure that each user receives the appropriate services and information relevant to the spacecraft affiliated with their organization. Additional information about the spacecraft provided by the users at registration (e.g. mass, maneuverability capabilities, etc.) improves the accuracy and overall quality of the services and information provided. Similarly, spacecraft ephemerides, including maneuver plans, are used to provide screenings and collision avoidance information that is more accurate and relevant to users. Users are asked to provide spacecraft ephemerides with maneuver plans on an ongoing basis. Provision of this information improves the quality of collision avoidance information for the spacecraft operator and the system overall.

Most information will also be made openly available in accordance with SPD-3, which states that a goal of the system should be to “improve SSA data interoperability and enable greater SSA data sharing.” SPD-3 states, “It is in the national interest of the United States to improve SSA data interoperability and enable greater SSA data sharing among all space operators, consistent with national security constraints. The United States should seek to lead the world in the development of improved SSA data standards and information sharing.” Open sharing of information enables spacecraft operators, commercial SSA entities, researchers, and others to support spaceflight safety and further innovation in this area.

Some information, including contact information, is not shared openly. Organizational contact information is only used internally by TraCSS and the U.S. government (USG) to communicate with the account holder. The operational contact information is provided to other spacecraft owners/operators, national and regional SSA providers, and the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs to facilitate coordination for spaceflight safety. NOAA does not make candidate maneuver information public - these are maneuvers that a spacecraft operator is considering undertaking - they are provided to TraCSS to be screened to determine whether the candidate maneuver would produce new potential collisions. Since these are only candidate maneuvers under consideration, not the actual planned maneuver, it is not helpful or relevant to make them openly available.

The exact conditions for data access and redistribution are covered in the TraCSS data policy and user agreement: https://space.commerce.gov/traffic-coordination-system-for-space-tracss/tracss-user-agreement

Spacecraft Owner Registration/ Data Provision

Organizational Information	This is information collected about the organization when the admin registered in TraCSS. Entities should keep this information up to date.	Open Data?	Reason for collection
Organizational contact information:	This information focuses on the owner/ operator of the spacecraft.
Organization name	Legal name of the registering organization or national government entity responsible for the account	OPEN	Necessary for identification/ registration
Organization type	Indicates whether the account is a spacecraft owner/ operator or national government	OPEN	Used to classify account privileges
Country Name	Organization headquarters location (country only). Multiple headquarters locations can be listed, if relevant. Spacecraft will be affiliated with the country in which the organization is headquartered.	OPEN	Necessary for determining country affiliation
Admin account contact information – job title, email, phone number	The primary representative for the organization's admin account has the ability to edit account information and to add/ remove other organizational users. This is the individual that would be contacted with any general inquiries for the organization (not emergency issues).	Not Open	Necessary for identification
Additional account users (names, email addresses, phone numbers)	These are additional users that the admin adds to the account. These users may include additional organizational admins, sub-group admins, operators, and SSA service providers or other contractors (under contract). [When adding users, the admin will be able to set permissions, for example, determining who has write access and which users should receive "emergency notifications"]. Users can be assigned to sub-groups, if desired. Additional users can also be added at a later time.	Not Open	Necessary for identification
Spacecraft Information and Attributes	Information collected about the spacecraft that are operational (or soon to be operational) when registering in TraCSS. If additional spacecraft are launched by the organization after registration, they can be added later.
Satellite name	Common name of the satellite, often used in public and operational contexts. [To avoid confusion, it is best to choose a unique satellite name. Existing satellite names can be found in the satellite catalog.]	OPEN	Necessary for identification/ UN Registration
Alternate name(s)	Any alternate names used to refer to the satellite, for example the foreign name of a satellite.	OPEN	Necessary for identification
NORAD ID	NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) identifier for tracking space objects. If a NORAD ID has not yet been assigned, TraCSS will assign a temporary ID.	OPEN	Necessary for identification
International designator/ COSPAR ID	The International Designator for the object in a YYYY-NNNP{PP} format, where: YYYY = year of launch NNN. Three-digit serial number of launch in year YYYY (with leading zeros) P{PP} = At least one capital letter for the identification of the part brought into space by the launch.	OPEN	Necessary for identification
Owner/ operator organization	Automatically populated when a satellite is added by an organizational user.	OPEN	Necessary for identification/ verification
Country of launch license	Country that licensed the satellite launch.	OPEN	Necessary for determining country affiliation
Country providing communications license	Country that licensed the satellite to operate (communications).	OPEN	Necessary for determining country affiliation
Country providing remote sensing/ novel activities license	Country that licensed the satellite for remote sensing or novel activities [If applicable]	OPEN	Necessary for determining country affiliation
Country of UN Registry	Country that registered the spacecraft with the United Nations [If known, available]	OPEN	Necessary for determining country affiliation
Constellation (if applicable)	Name of the constellation of which the satellite is a part [if applicable]	OPEN	Necessary for coordination
Operational Status	Status indicating the object’s current operational status. Available options defined by SANA registry: https://sanaregistry.org/r/operational_status/ This information will be automatically updated by OCM.	OPEN	Necessary for coordination
Orbit category	Region in which the spacecraft operates. Available options defined by SANA registry: https://sanaregistry.org/r/orbit_categories/ This information will be automatically updated by OCM.	OPEN	Necessary for coordination
Wet mass (optionally binned value)	Wet mass of the spacecraft. This value is used for fragmentation model input. Operators may provide mass as a binned value.	OPEN	Necessary for fragmentation calculation
Hard body radius	The hard body radius should be calculated using a standard method. If the Hard Body Radius changes over the lifespan of the spacecraft (due to a deployment, for example), this value should be updated.	OPEN	Necessary for calculation of Probability of Collision
Hard body radius calculation method	The method used to calculate hard body radius.	OPEN	Necessary for calculation of Probability of Collision
Conjunction mitigation capabilities	Which types of conjunction mitigation capabilities does the organization have the ability to implement for this spacecraft? Check all that apply: chemical propulsion, electric propulsion, differential drag, object re-orientation, none	OPEN	Necessary for coordination
Expected operational mission lifetime (at launch)?	What is the expected operational lifespan of the spacecraft? This can be the value estimated at launch.	OPEN	Necessary for coordination
Estimated total time on orbit	What is the total expected time in orbit (including time in orbit after operations have ceased)? i.e. The period of time from launch until the object expected to deorbit?	OPEN	Necessary for coordination
Launch Provider	Name of the organization providing the launch (e.g. SpaceX, Arianespace, etc.)	OPEN	Necessary for identification/ catalog maintenance
Launch Vehicle	Name of the vehicle providing the launch (e.g. Falcon 9, Ariane 6, etc.)	OPEN	Necessary for identification/ catalog maintenance
Launch Site	The launch site from where the satellite was deployed. Spaceport used for launch, including spaceport name and country [Drop-down menu]	OPEN	Needed for UN Registration
Launch Date	The launch date of the satellite or object. If not yet launched, provide the current schedule or best estimate. After launch, the date should be updated to reflect the actual launch date.	OPEN	Necessary for identification/ UN Registration
Deployment date (if different than launch date)	Date at which the satellite was deployed. If the deployment date is different from the launch date, the deployment date should be given. If not yet deployed, provide the current schedule or best estimate. After deployment, the date should be updated to reflect the actual deployment date.	OPEN	Necessary for identification/ catalog maintenance
Additional deployments	Whether there will be additional deployments from the satellite. If yes, additional explanations can be provided.	OPEN	Necessary for identification/ catalog maintenance
Launch Name	If part of a rideshare, what is the primary payload and/or name of the launch, if any?	OPEN	Necessary for identification/ catalog maintenance
Planned Orbit	Provide the nodal period, apogee (km), perigee (km), and inclination (deg). If there will be a secondary orbit change, such as with a space tug, give the method of the change and both initial and final orbits.	OPEN	Needed for UN Registration
General Function	The general function of the spacecraft. Choose from: -spacecraft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology -spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space -spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communications -spent boosters, spent maneuvering stage, shrouds and other non-functional objects -reusable space transportation systems	OPEN	Needed for UN Registration
Object Type [Automatically filled to Payload]	Automatically set to "Payload" (Following https://sanaregistry.org/r/object_types/)	OPEN	Necessary for safety calculation
Operational notification contact (name and phone number(s))	This is the contact that should be used for routine and/or time-sensitive operational issues (e.g. coordinating on mitigation of a high-risk conjunction)	Not Open	Necessary for safety and coordination
OPERATIONAL Spacecraft Information and Attributes	This is information about the spacecraft collected on a regular basis, not during registration.
O/o ephemerides with covariance and maneuver plans	OCM File	OPEN	Necessary for identifying conjunctions
Maneuver Plans	OCM File	OPEN	Necessary for identifying conjunctions
Candidate maneuvers	OCM File	Not OPEN	Necessary for identifying potential conjunctions
Operational Status	Field within the OCM (According to: https://sanaregistry.org/r/operational_status/ + in-transit, etc.)	OPEN	Necessary for coordination

National Government Registration/ Data Provision

Organizational Information	This is information collected about the organization when registering in TraCSS. Entities should keep this information up to date.	Open Data?	Reason for collection
Organizational contact information:
Country name	Name of the country registering [Drop-down menu]	OPEN	Necessary for identification
Organization type	Indicates whether the account is a spacecraft owner/ operator or national government	OPEN	Used to classify account privileges
Admin account contact information – email, phone number	The primary representative for the organization's admin account has the ability to edit account information and to add/ remove other organizational users. This is the individual that would be contacted with any general inquiries for the organization (not emergency issues).	Not Open	Necessary for identification
Additional account users (names, email addresses, phone numbers)	These are additional users that the admin adds to the account, including additional admins or other users. They could include individuals from other government offices and/or government contractors. The admin has responsibility for validating and maintaining user access and ensuring users abide by the user agreement.	Not Open	Necessary for identification
List of relevant spacecraft	Countries can provide a list of spacecraft affiliated with their nation under the following categories.
Spacecraft owned/ operated by organizations headquartered in your country	Spacecraft operated by organizations headquartered in the country. (Provide spacecraft name, NORAD ID/ International Designator, and spacecraft organization name)	OPEN	Necessary for determining country affiliation
Country of launch license	List of satellites for which your country provided a launch license. (Include spacecraft name and NORAD ID/ International Designator.)	OPEN	Necessary for determining country affiliation
Country providing communications license	List of satellites for which your country provided a license to operate (communications license). (Include spacecraft name and NORAD ID/ International Designator.)	OPEN	Necessary for determining country affiliation
Country providing remote sensing/ novel activities license	List of satellites for which your country provided a remote sensing (or novel activities)? [If applicable] (Include spacecraft name and NORAD ID/ International Designator.)	OPEN	Necessary for determining country affiliation
Spacecraft registered by your nation with the UN Registry	Spacecraft registered by your nation in the UN Registry. (Include spacecraft name and NORAD ID/ International Designator.)	OPEN	Necessary for determining country affiliation

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g. permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also, describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden.

All information is provided through electronic submissions.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in Question 2

Although some information about spacecraft attributes (e.g., mass) could potentially be found online, it is difficult to verify the veracity of this information. Collecting information directly from users (spacecraft owners/operators and national governments) ensures the veracity and accuracy of the information.

The Department of Defense has some of this information available (e.g. spacecraft names and NORAD IDs) within its space-track.org system, which is the legacy provider of spaceflight safety services. However, it is important that users provide this information to TraCSS and agree to the TraCSS User Agreement to affirm their interest in receiving services from TraCSS. Information provided by TraCSS users will be cross-checked against information available from the DoD to assist in verification and identifying potential errors.

5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any methods used to minimize burden.

NOAA is not aware of any small businesses that would participate in this information collection. However, the information collection was designed to only include information necessary to achieve the direct purpose(s) of the TraCSS program, including identifying and validating users, providing spaceflight safety services, and improving transparency and data sharing.

6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

If the information in the collection was not collected, the TraCSS system would not be able to onboard users and would not be able to provide spaceflight safety services in accordance with SPD-3. If the collection is conducted less frequently (e.g. spacecraft operators do not provide ephemerides on a regular basis), this will directly impact the quality of spaceflight services provided to users, increasing the risk of an accidental collision in orbit that would negatively impact all space actors.

7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.

This information collection will be conducted in a manner consistent with OMB guidelines except as listed below.

OMB guidelines: requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly;

• While the vast majority of information in the collection is just collected once at registration, a small subset of information - specifically ephemeris with maneuver plans - are provided by spacecraft owner/ operators on a daily basis. This is necessary for the provision of operationally-relevant spaceflight safety services and information.

8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publications in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8 (d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public comments received in response to that notice and describe actions taken by the agency in response to these comments. Specifically address comments received on cost and hour burden.

A Federal Register Notice published on April 28, 2025, (90 FR 17581) solicited public comment. No comments were received.

The Office of Space Commerce held two listening sessions to solicit feedback on its Data Policy and User Agreement, including a list of information to be collected from users. Feedback was provided by community members from direct comments in these virtual events as well as through written feedback. These listening sessions resulted in refinement of the list of information to be collected and demonstrated broad support for the data policy adopted by TraCSS.

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

TraCSS does not plan to provide a payment or gift to respondents.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy. If the collection requires a systems of records notice (SORN) or privacy impact assessment (PIA), those should be cited and described here.

TraCSS collects PII information in order to identify and communicate with users (e.g. name, email, phone number) and to maintain a “phonebook” of emergency contact information which is used to coordinate in the event of a high-risk collision or other spaceflight safety concern. Conditions for the use of the emergency contact information are clearly addressed within the TraCSS Data Policy and User Agreement. A Privacy Act Statement is included on TraCSS registration documentation. The information in this collection is captured in the privacy impact assessment (PIA) for NOAA0301¹.

Consistent with OMB’s guidance implementing the Privacy Act of 1974, “an agency record-keeping system on firms it regulates may contain “records” (i.e., personal information) about officers of the firm incident to evaluating the firm’s performance. Even though these are clearly “records” under the “control of” an agency, they would not be considered part of a system as defined by the Act unless the agency accessed them by reference to a personal identifier (name, etc.). That is, if these hypothetical “records” are never retrieved except by reference to company identifier or some other nonpersonal indexing scheme (e.g., type of firm) they are not a part of a system of records.”

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior or attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private. This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.

TraCSS does not include any questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information.

• We expect to have about 250 respondents. Space-track.org, the system run by the DoD, has about 200 active and unique spacecraft owners/operators registered in the system, so we would expect a roughly similar number of spacecraft owners/operators to sign up for the TraCSS system. TraCSS will also be open to national governments to create an account, so we expect that would account for another 50 respondents.

• The annual hour burden is going to vary greatly for these entities. Estimates are based on information from experts on our team who have experience with spacecraft operations.

  • Initial Registration: The first step in registration involves providing basic organizational information (i.e., company name, type of account (spacecraft owner operator or national government), country, and admin account contact information). The information requested is minimal and providing a response should be very quick (less than five minutes) for all respondents.

  • Satellite Owner/Operator Satellite Information and Attributes (aka Satellite File - Spacecraft Owners/Operators): During registration, users are asked to provide satellite information and attributes by uploading a .csv satellite file (a template is provided). The minimum amount of information required for registration is the satellite name and NORAD ID. This information must be provided in order to determine which satellites are affiliated with the organization. This allows TraCSS to provide appropriate services relevant to the organizations’ spacecraft. Users are also encouraged to provide the additional satellite information and attributes requested (as seen in the table at question 2). This information allows TraCSS to improve the accuracy and/or overall quality of services provided. The hour burden for spacecraft information and attributes (aka Satellite File) will vary greatly by applicant depending on three things: 1) whether the user provides only the minimum amount of information requested or the full list of requested satellite information and attributes, 2) how many spacecraft the user has, and 3) whether those spacecraft have the same attributes (e.g., part of a large constellation) or if they are unique. We estimate that filling out the minimal information (satellite name and NORAD ID) takes one minute per satellite (or less), and providing all requested information and attributes for a single unique satellite takes about 15 minutes.

    • Some entities, like many universities or small companies, may only have one or two satellites, so providing information for registration will be relatively quick. For these entities, we expect it would take just one minute to fill out the minimal information (satellite name and NORAD ID) or about 15 minutes to fill out the full satellite information and attributes form.

    • Others may have large constellations of spacecraft. Although constellations can include hundreds or thousands of spacecraft, most of the attributes of the satellites (e.g., mass, maneuver capabilities), are the same for all spacecraft, and the information can just be copied into the additional cells in the excel spreadsheet, so the process for registration will be very quick. Alternatively, they could develop a script to populate the spreadsheet, which should also be relatively quick. For these entities, we expect it would take about two hours to fill out the registration form.

    • Some entities, like space agencies, may have a large number of unique satellites, so providing information for all of these satellites will take more time - approximately 15 minutes per satellite. For an organization with 10 satellites, it would take about 2.5 hours to fill out the form. NASA is likely the organization with the largest number of unique spacecraft, with about 80 operational spacecraft (although not all of these are in Earth orbit). At 15 minutes per spacecraft, it would take NASA 20 hours to fill out the satellite attributes form, although this burden would be spread across a number of offices/ entities within the organization and it’s also possible NASA would automate this process, which could decrease the time it takes to fill out the form.

    • For this initial submission, NOAA is estimating an average response time of two hours per response. (NASA is an outlier with its large number of unique satellites. The European Space Agency, likely the next largest operator of unique spacecraft, has just 20 - corresponding to five hours of time burden. The vast majority of operators have fewer than 10 unique spacecraft or they operate constellations of identical spacecraft.) NOAA will update this burden in future submissions based on feedback from respondents.

  • National governments Satellite Information Attributes (aka Satellite File - National Governments): National government users also provide information on satellites via a .csv file, but only for a subset of attributes - those that describe which satellites are associated with their country. Specifically, this includes five attributes: 1) whether the spacecraft owner/operator has a headquarters in the country, 2) whether the country registered the spacecraft in the UN registry, and whether the country provided a 3) communications, 4) remote sensing, or 5) other licenses for the spacecraft. Provision of this information at registration is optional, but encouraged. Once again, the time burden for this activity varies depending on how many satellites are affiliated with the country (i.e., fall into one or more of the five categories listed above). This could range from one affiliated spacecraft to thousands (in the case of the United States, for example). However, governments generally have readily available information on the spacecraft that they have provided licenses for, or have registered with the UN, so this information should be relatively quick to gather and enter. We therefore estimate that this process could take between 5 minutes (for countries with only one relevant satellite) to four hours (for a country like the U.S. with thousands of affiliated satellites). For this initial submission, NOAA is averaging the response time to 2 hours per response. NOAA will update this burden in future submissions based on feedback from respondents.

  • Spacecraft owners/operators will also provide spacecraft ephemerides with maneuver plans, ideally on a daily basis. This process is automated by most companies and shouldn’t take more than about 15 minutes.

Information Collection	Type of Respondent (e.g., Occupational Title)	# of Respondents/year (a)	Annual # of Responses / Respondent (b)	Total # of Annual Responses (c) = (a) x (b)	Burden Hrs / Response (d)	Total Annual Burden Hrs (e) = (c) x (d)	Hourly Wage Rate (for Type of Respondent) (f)	Total Annual Wage Burden Costs (g) = (e) x (f)
Registration - Organizational Information	Satellite Owner/ Operator	84	1	84	5 min	7	$67.88	$475
TraCSS Satellite File - Owner/ Operators	Satellite Owner/ Operator	67	1	67	2 hrs	134	$67.88	$9,096
TraCSS Satellite File - National Governments	Government Space Expert	17	1	17	2 hrs	34	$49.99	$1,700
Orbit Comprehensive Message (OEM) File (e.g. Spacecraft ephemeris with maneuver plan)	Satellite Owner/ Operator	67	365	24,455	15 min	6,114	$67.88	$415,018
Totals		235		24,623		6,289		$426,289

Occupational Code 17-2011, Aerospace Engineers, was used to determine the mean hourly wage for the Satellite Owner/Operator. Occupational Code 19-2021, Atmospheric and Space Scientists, was used to determine the mean hourly wage for Government Space Experts. https://data.bls.gov/oesprofile/

13. Provide an estimate for the total annual cost burden to respondents or record keepers resulting from the collection of information. (Do not include the cost of any hour burden already reflected on the burden worksheet).

There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this information collection. Information is submitted electronically, so there are no expected costs to the respondents.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government. Also, provide a description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification of hours, operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and support staff), and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information.

Cost Descriptions	Grade/Step	Loaded Salary /Cost	% of Effort	Fringe (if Applicable)	Total Cost to Government
Federal Oversight	GS-15	$249,017	0.5%		$1,245
Other Federal Positions	GS-14  (x2)	$211,703	1%  (x2)		$4,234
	GS-14	$211,703	20%		$42,341
Contractor Cost		$477,740	20%		$95,548
Travel
Other Costs:
TOTAL					$143,368

The General Schedule (GS) (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2025/RUS.pdf) pay tables for the Rest of U.S. location was used to determine the base salary. The Rest of U.S. locality was used since NOAA employees are geographically dispersed. Step 5 for each grade was used to obtain the average base salary. A multiplier of 1.5 was used to calculate the loaded salary. The percent of effort was calculated by estimating the number of hours an individual would spend on this collection in a given year and dividing that number by 2,080 and multiplying the result by 100 to obtain the percentage.

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in ROCIS.

This is a new collection of information.

16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be used. Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of the collection of information, completion of report, publication dates, and other actions.

NOAA OSC will retain control over the information and safeguard it from improper access, modification, and destruction, consistent with NOAA standards for confidentiality, privacy, and electronic information. See response to Question 10 of this Supporting Statement for more information on confidentiality and privacy. The information collection is designed to yield data that meet all applicable information quality guidelines. Although the information collected is not expected to be disseminated directly to the public, results may be used in scientific, management, technical or general informational publications. Should NOAA OSC decide to disseminate the information, it will be subject to the quality control measures and pre-dissemination review pursuant to Section 515 of Public Law 106-554.

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.

The agency plans to display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection on all instruments.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions."

The agency certifies compliance with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

1 https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2025-06/NOAA0301%20PIA%202025-SAOP_Approved.pdf