Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations

The Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations (CONFERS) is a program started by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in 2017.^[1] The goal was to address the lack of widely accepted technical and safety standards for on-orbit servicing activities involving commercial satellites.^[2] 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.^[3]

In 2017, DARPA provided funding to Advanced Technology International to form the consortium as an industry-led initiative.^[4] Since 2018, CONFERS holds annual Global Satellite Servicing Forum conferences.^[5]

In 2022, International Standards Organization (ISO) adopted CONFERS’ standard as ISO 24330, Space systems — Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) and On Orbit Servicing (OOS).^[6]

DARPA has transitioned the leadership and funding to CONFERS, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization.^[7][8]