SpaceNews.com
• Mustafa Bilal
As spacecraft maneuver near one another, operators must assess not only trajectory and collision risk but also whether the other vehicle could be a weapon. The presence of undisclosed U.S. space systems is complicating attribution and increasing the potential for miscalculation during close approaches.
Space Debris & Traffic Management
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As spacecraft maneuver near one another, operators must assess not only trajectory and collision risk but also whether the other vehicle could be a weapon. The presence of undisclosed U.S. space systems is complicating attribution and increasing the potential for miscalculation during close approaches.
London-based Foundational has raised £8.2 million ($10.8 million; €9.6 million) in pre-seed funding, which it describes as Europe’s largest space-tech pre-seed round. The startup is developing satellite-mounted retroreflectors, automated ground stations and software to improve positioning data for satellites and orbital-debris tracking.
Experts warn that continued growth in rocket launch frequency could increase the likelihood of uncontrolled space-debris reentries and, eventually, a fatality on the ground. The trend underscores the safety consequences of expanding launch activity and the need to manage debris generated by increasingly crowded orbital operations.
A NASA workshop with satellite manufacturers and operators found that commercial practices for passivating spacecraft batteries—intended to prevent explosions after mission end—often fall short of NASA recommendations. The findings raise concerns as commercial satellite buses become increasingly common across government and civil space programs.
NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson and Peruvian Space Agency director Maj. Gen. Roberto Melgar Sheen will lead the Artemis Accords Principals’ Meeting in Turkey. The discussions will address lunar debris and emerging space assistance, highlighting practical coordination challenges as participating nations expand lunar activity.
Astronomers are calling for action through the United Nations and International Court of Justice to address the unchecked growth of satellite constellations in Earth orbit. They warn that proliferating spacecraft could increasingly obscure astronomical observations and alter humanity’s view of the night sky.
A private robotic spacecraft launched in July to raise the orbit of NASA’s aging Swift astrophysics observatory has re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, ending a mission that failed to extend the telescope’s life. Swift is expected to follow with its own re-entry in the coming weeks, while NASA and the company assess the mission’s lessons.
High activity
Starfish Space has completed its first full-scale Otter spacecraft and assigned it to a customer mission, slated for launch on Transporter-18. The Seattle-area company says the vehicle will demonstrate close inspection and docking technologies, marking its transition from scaled technology demonstrations toward operational satellite servicing.
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