SpaceWatch Global
• Joshua Faleti
At the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, agencies and companies addressed low Earth orbit congestion and debris removal, cislunar interoperability, and lunar communications and transport. ESA also presented a study on developing a reusable two-stage heavy-lift launcher, while U.S. and Chinese space networks were in focus.
Space Debris & Traffic Management
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At the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, agencies and companies addressed low Earth orbit congestion and debris removal, cislunar interoperability, and lunar communications and transport. ESA also presented a study on developing a reusable two-stage heavy-lift launcher, while U.S. and Chinese space networks were in focus.
A Soviet satellite has broken apart in orbit for a second time, after a previous breakup in March 2004. The latest event adds to concerns about orbital debris, though the available reports provide no details on the amount of debris or potential effects on other spacecraft.
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SpaceX says recent close approaches involving Starlink satellites produced predicted miss distances ranging from tens to hundreds of meters, prompting the company to call for better coordination in orbit. The warning underscores the operational risks posed by increasingly crowded orbital traffic.
SpaceX’s Starlink says the greatest safety risk to its constellation and other low Earth orbit operators is satellite owners’ refusal to share ephemeris data, including satellite positions and planned maneuvers. The company has updated its debris and collision-risk mitigation measures, according to the report.
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As activity around the moon grows, operators are increasingly considering deliberate crashes of orbiters and rocket stages as a way to dispose of them at mission end. The approach could threaten historic lunar sites, adding preservation concerns to decisions about how missions are planned and retired.
European leaders are tying space capabilities to independent decision-making in security and defense, while debate over the proposed European Space Shield highlights disagreements over its name and control. In parallel, a new US policy emphasizes infrastructure and commercial activity, as space-governance advocates argue for moving beyond debris mitigation toward orbital sustainability.
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LeoLabs has detected a new fragmentation event involving Meteor 2-7, a Soviet-era weather satellite. The cause of the breakup has not been determined, leaving the event’s origin unclear as new debris is identified in orbit.
NorthStar Earth and Space plans to expand its in-orbit space-domain awareness network despite heavy investor withdrawals tied to the blank-check company merger that took it public last week. CEO Stewart Bain said the expansion remains on track; the articles provide no revised timeline or funding details.
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