Space Debris & Traffic Management News

Spaceflight Now • Will Robinson-Smith

International Space Station enters final five planned years as partners prepare 2030 deorbit; new commander named

Marking 25 years of continuous human presence, the International Space Station is entering its final five years of planned operations as NASA and international partners prepare an intentional deorbit around 2030. The station is also set for a change of command with a new commander taking the helm.

2025-12-05T07:00:52.037076-08:00

Reuters

Damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft to return to Earth uncrewed for inspection

2025-12-01T06:39:36.239458-08:00

SpaceNews.com

China's Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 separate after pioneering geostationary refueling tests

2025-11-30T11:25:03.863485-08:00

Reuters

NTSB: High‑altitude weather balloon struck United 737‑8 windshield over Utah

2025-11-20T15:09:29.808207-08:00

Space Debris & Traffic Management News Timeline

Payload

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LeoLabs wins cross‑government licensing contract as OSC evaluates TraCSS integration LeoLabs has secured a cross‑government licensing contract that will see the Office of Space Commerce evaluate integrating LeoLabs' orbital tracking data into its TraCSS system. The move aims to extend LeoLabs’ alerting capabilities beyond government users and into the commercial sector.

2025-12-08T23:21:31.154383-08:00

LeoLabs wins cross‑government licensing contract as OSC evaluates TraCSS integration

Space.com

NASA completes assembly of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, now moving into integration and 2026 launch preparations NASA has completed assembly of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and will begin summer launch preparations as the observatory moves into integration and test. Now ahead of schedule and targeting a 2026 launch, the next‑generation telescope will survey exoplanets, supernovas, black holes and cosmological structure.

2025-12-05T14:07:45.836804-08:00

NASA completes assembly of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, now moving into integration and 2026 launch preparations

Spaceflight Now

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International Space Station enters final five planned years as partners prepare 2030 deorbit; new commander named Marking 25 years of continuous human presence, the International Space Station is entering its final five years of planned operations as NASA and international partners prepare an intentional deorbit around 2030. The station is also set for a change of command with a new commander taking the helm.

2025-12-05T07:00:52.037076-08:00

International Space Station enters final five planned years as partners prepare 2030 deorbit; new commander named

SpaceNews.com

The Overlooked Space Race: On‑Orbit Servicing and Extending Satellite Life On-orbit servicing — refuelling, repair, inspection and life-extension — is emerging as a strategic battleground as operators seek to preserve satellite value, cut replacement costs and mitigate orbital congestion. The capability could reshape satellite economics and operational risk in increasingly crowded LEO regimes.

2025-12-04T04:07:42.922747-08:00

The Overlooked Space Race: On‑Orbit Servicing and Extending Satellite Life

Australian Aviation

CASA and Australian Space Agency formalise cooperation to align spaceflight and air navigation rules Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Australian Space Agency have signed an agreement to formalise cooperation, information‑sharing and regulatory alignment between spaceflight operations and air navigation rules. Officials say the framework aims to clarify procedures, improve deconfliction and boost industry confidence as Australia's commercial launch and satellite activity grows.

2025-12-03T20:47:26.715772-08:00

CASA and Australian Space Agency formalise cooperation to align spaceflight and air navigation rules

Ars Technica

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NASA: Half‑Million Planned LEO Satellites Could Contaminate Nearly All Space Telescope Images A NASA study and simulations show the exponential growth of low‑Earth orbit constellations — potentially ~500,000 satellites by the 2030s — will sharply increase optical "light pollution," contaminating and severely degrading images from Hubble and other space‑based observatories.

2025-12-03T08:42:40.926999-08:00

NASA: Half‑Million Planned LEO Satellites Could Contaminate Nearly All Space Telescope Images

Reuters

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Damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft to return to Earth uncrewed for inspection China will send the damaged Shenzhou-20 return vehicle back to Earth without crew so experts can closely inspect the damage after the spacecraft was ruled unfit to fly mid-mission, state broadcaster CCTV reported Monday. The move enables hands-on forensic assessment that cannot be completed on orbit.

2025-12-01T06:39:36.239458-08:00

Damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft to return to Earth uncrewed for inspection

SpaceNews.com

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China's Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 separate after pioneering geostationary refueling tests China's experimental Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 satellites have separated in geostationary orbit after months docked conducting on-orbit refueling tests, state-tracked observers reported. The maneuver is among the first sustained refueling demonstrations at GEO and signals progress toward satellite life-extension capabilities.

2025-11-30T11:25:03.863485-08:00

China's Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 separate after pioneering geostationary refueling tests

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