SpaceNews.com
• Andrew Jones
Chinese reconnaissance satellite Yaogan-50 (02), launched into an unusual retrograde orbit earlier this year, has apparently fragmented, creating a field of orbital debris. The event adds a new object and debris-generation incident to an increasingly complex space environment, although the cause and full extent of the breakup remain unclear.
Space Debris & Traffic Management
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Chinese reconnaissance satellite Yaogan-50 (02), launched into an unusual retrograde orbit earlier this year, has apparently fragmented, creating a field of orbital debris. The event adds a new object and debris-generation incident to an increasingly complex space environment, although the cause and full extent of the breakup remain unclear.
Munich-based startup Project-S has emerged from stealth after announcing a multi-million-euro funding round. The company is developing capabilities in space situational awareness, a growing area focused on monitoring and understanding activity in orbit.
High activity
Astroscale Japan has signed Isar Aerospace to launch ADRAS-J2 aboard a Spectrum rocket, targeting the capture and removal of a spent upper stage from orbit. Separately, NorthStar is leading FALCON, a new ESA-backed project focused on improving predictions of uncontrolled re-entries after recent debris incidents in Europe.
High activity
OHB has won a contract worth more than $1 billion to build the MEO satellite layer of Europe’s IRIS² constellation. Separate agreements cover Italy’s PRISMA Second Generation, constellr’s HiVE thermal-imaging platforms and ESA’s FALCON consortium for tracking uncontrolled atmospheric reentries.
Japan’s Astroscale is maintaining an investment strategy focused on securing an early lead in satellite debris removal, rendezvous and proximity operations, and other in-orbit services. The approach may come at the expense of profitability over the next one to two years as the company builds positions in emerging markets.
Japan’s Astroscale is maintaining an investment-heavy strategy in satellite debris removal, rendezvous and proximity operations, accepting that it may forgo profitability over the next one to two years. The company is pursuing first-mover advantage as commercial demand for in-orbit servicing and space sustainability develops.
Kepler Communications will combine its optical data relay infrastructure with NorthStar’s space domain awareness services under a strategic partnership. The agreement also includes a hosted payload arrangement, linking high-speed space-based communications infrastructure with capabilities for monitoring and characterizing objects in orbit.
The Commerce Department’s civil space traffic coordination system, TraCSS, has expanded its user base for service testing but remains in a pilot phase. The department has not established a firm date for transitioning the system into full operational service.
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