May 2026
Satellite brightness and the mitigation challenge
...; deployment is already underway. The question is whether humanity can govern it. Voluntary measures fail In 2019, the Space Safety Coalition brought together major satellite operators - SpaceX, SES, Eutelsat, Intelsat and Iridium – all of which...
23 June 2021
ESA and EU embark on a new space programme
... in support to the new EU flagship on secure connectivity, In-Orbit demonstration/Validation service and space safety activities to monitor space hazards. The FFPA agreement includes additional components under ESA’s responsibility, such as the...
April 2020
Satellite mega-constellations pose threat to ground-based astronomy
... In fact, several Starlink satellites are already out of control, which raises concerns about space safety and the growth of the space debris population. Observatories and research institutions are currently evaluating the potential impact of similar...
January 2020
Open source space sustainability
... operator of a manoeuvrable satellite to decide whether or not to manoeuvre. In the words of Holger Krag, ESA’s Head of Space Safety: “This example shows that in the absence of traffic rules and communication protocols, collision avoidance depends...
May 2026
Focusing the world on planetary defence
...and the planned Ramses (Rapid Apophis Mission for SEcurity and Safety) mission to study the asteroid Apophis in 2029. IAWN...Artist’s impression of ESA’s Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (Ramses). The Ramses spacecraft will rendezvous with Apophis...
February 2017
Growing space agency dilemma
... organisations - such as the Secure World Foundation, the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS), the Association of Space Explorers, the B612 Foundation, NASA’s JPL cosmic hazards programmes, ESA’s Earthguard programme...
