space sustainability
Industry looks to decentralized approaches to space sustainability
As governments make slow progress on space traffic management systems, companies may be able work together more quickly to develop processes to support space sustainability.
U.S. ASAT ban meant to support U.N. discussions on space threats
A State Department official said the Biden administration’s announcement of a ban of one kind of ASAT weapon tests was timed to support discussions at an upcoming United Nations forum on norms of behavior in space.
Op-ed | Guarding against greenwashing in space
Are these commitments resulting in meaningful performance? Or are they “greenwashing” — mere marketing pledges or virtue signaling with little actual impact on sustainability?
SpaceX makes its case for space sustainability with latest Starlink launch
SpaceX launched another set of Starlink satellites Feb. 25 as the company argues its satellite constellation is consistent with the safe and sustainable use of low Earth orbit.
Op-ed | A global model for tackling space sustainability and safety
While international agreements such as the Outer Space Treaty and the Registration Convention take steps to protect near space, no single global body is responsible for ensuring the long-term sustainability and safety of this precious resource.
Space tracking startup Privateer hires Jah as chief scientific adviser
A space sustainability startup still largely in stealth mode has hired a leading “space environmentalist” as its chief scientific adviser as it develops satellites to track objects in orbit.
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 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.
UN space office seeks consensus on space traffic management
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs is poised to assist the international community in tackling the challenges posed by an increasingly diverse set of actors launching and operating spacecraft.
Connecting the Dots | Achieving sustainable space
The visibility and attention space missions often get work to the industry’s advantage, from helping to attract top engineering talent to top investment dollars. But it also comes with heightened scrutiny that risks tripping up young space companies rushing to the commercial market.
Interoperability, sustainability and cybersecurity pose challenges for small satellite sector
Ensuring that small satellites can communicate not only within their own constellations but within a broader ecosystem is one of the primary challenges cited by Lt. Gen. John Shaw, U.S. Space Command deputy commander, in an Aug. 9 keynote at the 35th Small Satellite conference.
New Zealand and LeoLabs sign multiyear deal for Space Regulatory platform
LeoLabs and the New Zealand Space Agency (NZSA) are working together to develop a cloud-based software platform for monitoring space activity.
Space executives: Regulations and incentives needed to curtail collisions and debris
Safe deployment of satellites is going to be increasingly difficult in the absence of globally accepted rules and incentives to make space a sustainable environment, industry executives said.
Op-ed | Building on the Artemis Accords to address space sustainability
It’s past time for a multilateral agreement on the principles governing space traffic management and sustainability, writes Jennifer A. Manner.
Op-ed | Building Back Better: Critical first issues for a successful Biden space policy
As the Biden administration looks to rejoin international initiatives and reemphasize major global initiatives, it is critical that the incoming administration recognizes and recommits to the role that space technology plays in these efforts.
LeoLabs to construct fourth radar in Costa Rica
Silicon Valley startup LeoLabs announced plans July 22 to construct a phased-array radar in Costa Rica to track objects as small as two centimeters in low inclination orbits.
Work advances on space sustainability rating
A consortium established last year to develop a rating to measure how well satellites comply with space sustainability guidelines expects to have an initial version of its rating system ready by late this year or early next year.
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.
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.
EU agency starts space sustainability initiative
The European Union’s equivalent of a foreign ministry is starting a new effort to promote the need for sustainable space operations, but that effort will not initially include any new regulation of European satellite operators.
