Operations & Safety

Space operations have accelerated to unprecedented levels as commercial service providers ramp up their business plans. Ensuring space operations safety is paramount for the long-term viability and sustainability of space activities. Space situational awareness plays a critical role in maintaining physical safety by tracking and avoiding potential collisions between spacecraft, orbital debris, and other objects in Earth's orbit. Effective space traffic management systems are essential for collision avoidance during launch and on-orbit operations. Space weather monitoring is another crucial aspect of space safety, as solar flares and geomagnetic storms can disrupt communications and pose risks to both spacecraft and astronauts. Implementing robust space debris mitigation strategies, such as deorbiting defunct satellites and rocket bodies, helps preserve the space environment for future generations. Ultimately, adhering to space safety standards and space sustainability practices is vital for ensuring the responsible and long-term utilization of the space domain.

News & Analysis

Nov 13, 2024
The session focused on structural cracks with air leaks in the Russian segment and the safe potential deorbiting of the outpost in a contingency.
Nov 13, 2024
ArianeGroup says it has made progress toward achieving first flight of the four-booster version of the Ariane 6.
Nov 11, 2024
AVIC subsidiary Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute has lifted the veil on its Haolong reusable cargo space shuttle.
Nov 08, 2024
The Nov. 8 operation had already been set when the resupply mission docked to the U.S. segment of the ISS earlier this week.
Nov 05, 2024
The SpaceX Cargo Dragon spacecraft docked to the U.S. segment of the ISS on Nov. 5 to deliver 6,000 lb. of supplies, station hardware and research material.
Nov 05, 2024
Liftoff from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A followed a Falcon 9 scrub Nov. 3 at the neighboring Cape Canaveral SFS Space Launch Complex 40.
Nov 04, 2024
The Denver-based company is perhaps best known as a co-developer of the free-flying Starlab commercial space station for NASA.
Nov 04, 2024
Japan successfully launched an X-band communications satellite using the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H3 rocket.