Space sustainability makes slow progress at the United Nations

Diplomats and other experts see signs of progress at the United Nations on addressing space sustainability but caution it may will take many years before any sort of binding agreement emerges.

Space community ponders right-of-way rules for space traffic

The growing number of satellites in orbit is leading to calls to develop formal “right of way” rules, although there is no consensus on what those rules should be and how they should be established.

Space Force to consider space sustainability in any future conflict

The U.S. military will take space sustainability factors into account should it have to respond to an attack on its satellites, a Space Force official said Sept. 16.

SpaceX emphasizes coordination with other satellite operators

Two years after the close approach of a Starlink satellite with a European Space Agency satellite alarmed some in the space industry, SpaceX says it’s working closely with a wide range of satellite operators to ensure safe space operations.

Satellite operators need more accurate SSA data

Space situational awareness data used by satellite operators isn’t accurate enough to support the decisions they need to make on whether and how to maneuver their spacecraft to avoid potential collisions.

Space Force backs development of commercial orbital debris removal systems

A Space Force general endorsed the development of commercial systems for removing space debris, saying they can address congestion in Earth orbit without the policy concerns a government-run alternative might have.

Clusters, not constellations, pose biggest orbital debris risk

Despite the ongoing debate about the orbital debris risks posed by proposed satellite megaconstellations, one expert believes that an even greater risk comes from clusters of objects already in orbit.

Data sharing seen as critical to future of space situational awareness

The future of space situational awareness will increasingly rely on governments and companies sharing data that can be used to improve knowledge of space objects and create more accurate warnings of close approaches.

Incentives and requirements may be needed to enhance space sustainability

With satellite operators doing a poor job complying with guidelines to deorbit their satellites, incentives or even regulation may be inevitable to address concerns about orbital debris and satellite collisions.

Better coordination needed among operators to avoid potential collisions

As both the number of satellites and the number of potential collisions grow, government and industry officials say they need to improve the ways satellite operators coordinate maneuvers.

Transparency key to the future of space traffic management

It is possible to build improved space traffic management approaches to ensure safe operations in space, a panel of experts in the field said Sept. 18, but it will require more transparency among satellite operators.

New coalition seeks to improve space safety

A group of satellite operators and other organizations have banded together to endorse a set of best practices intended to improve space safety, including measures to minimize the risk of collisions in orbit.

Are cubesats a nuisance to space situational awareness efforts?

Small satellites and cubesats should not be viewed as a major contributor to congestion or in creating space debris in low earth orbit, at least based on recent history, a panel of experts here said Sept. 23.

U.S., China will meet this year to talk space debris

A senior U.S. State Department official said China and the United States plan to hold a second set of talks later this year to discuss how their militaries operate in space.

More satellite collision warnings to come with Space Fence data

A senior Pentagon official said the U.S. Air Force will need to rethink how it issues satellite collision warnings when a new space object tracking system goes online or risk overwhelming satellite operators and hardware systems with overly cautious alerts.

U.S., Canada may partner on space surveillance proposal

MAUI, Hawaii – The U.S. Air Force and Canada are partnering on a proposal for an upcoming space surveillance mission, a senior Defense Department official said Sept. 21.

The Air Force expects to release in October a formal solicitation fo…

Congress gets report on giving FAA space traffic role

The Federal Aviation Administration is willing to take on the task of informing commercial, civil and foreign satellite operators of possible on-orbit collisions, while leaving the Defense Department in charge of supporting military space missions.

LeoLabs to build space-tracking radar at Texas spaceport

LeoLabs Inc., a Silicon Valley startup preparing to build a worldwide network of phased-array radars to detect and track objects in low Earth orbit, plans to install a radar at Texas’ Midland International Air and Space Port, according to a Sept. 13 announcement.

Time for the U.S. military to let go of the civil space situational awareness mission

The time has come for the U.S. military to let go of the spaceflight safety mission, and allow a civil entity — likely with help from the private sector, academia, and international partners — to create its own public, high-accuracy catalog of space objects, and provide safety of spaceflight services to satellite operators.

Good (space) fences make for good (orbital) neighbors

A small white, windowless building near a Costco superstore in Moorestown, New Jersey, is helping usher in a new level of accuracy in detecting satellite maneuvers and avoiding debris on orbit.