Space Debris & Traffic Management News

Bloomberg

High activity

Europe pushes for sovereign space capability as Paris summit confronts reliance on U.S. industry

European space leaders and international partners gathered in Paris to strengthen the continent’s position in a space market dominated by the United States. Discussions center on launch autonomy, independent satellite infrastructure, orbital sustainability and security—while the absence of SpaceX and Blue Origin underscores Europe’s dependence on American providers.

Ars Technica

3D-Printed Aluminum “Eggshell” Arrays Show Promise for Protecting Next-Generation Spacecraft

Impact testing found that 3D-printed aluminum arrays built with an eggshell-like structure and filled with water provided greater resistance than conventional designs. The approach could offer spacecraft developers a new path to improving protection against impacts while managing structural mass and manufacturing complexity.

SpaceWatch Global

High activity

Project-S Emerges from Stealth to Build a European Space Safety Layer

Project-S has emerged from stealth with plans to develop a European space safety layer. The initiative adds a new entrant to efforts focused on improving safety in the increasingly complex space environment, with its ambitions spanning technical and potentially political dimensions of Europe’s space sector.

SpaceNews.com

Chinese reconnaissance satellite Yaogan-50 (02) breaks up in rare retrograde orbit, generating debris field

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.

European Spaceflight

Project-S emerges from stealth with multi-million-euro funding for space situational awareness

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.

SpaceWatch Global

High activity

Astroscale selects Isar Aerospace to launch ADRAS-J2 orbital-debris removal mission

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.

Via Satellite

High activity

European space programs advance with IRIS², Earth-observation and reentry-tracking contracts

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.

Space Intel Report

Astroscale prioritizes first-mover advantage in satellite servicing over near-term profitability

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.