https://spacewatch.global/tag/space-traffic-management/ AN INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:42:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://spacewatch.global/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SpaceWatchGlobal-Sign-90x90.png https://spacewatch.global/tag/space-traffic-management/ 32 32 https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/spacewatchgl-opinion-who-is-accountable-when-space-ai-acts-before-earth-can-respond/ Tue, 13 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=78660
Written by Dr. Michael T. Neely
As spacecraft gain the autonomy to act before Earth can respond, accountability cannot depend on real-time human control. Michael T. Neely argues that responsibility must instead be designed into the rules, limits and evidence governing autonomous systems.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/spacewatchgl-recap-iac-2026-day-four-crowded-orbits-open-interfaces/ Fri, 09 Oct 2026 07:30:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=78823 On the last plenary day of IAC 2026, ESA’s Holger Krag warned that today’s disposal rules legally leave a thousand dead satellites a year in orbit, Astroscale admitted there is no debris removal market yet, and Japan, ispace, SpaceX and ESA debated how open the Moon’s infrastructure should be. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/ila-2026-the-price-of-success-when-orbit-becomes-a-problem-space-debris-liability-and-cleanup/ Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=75145 At ILA 2026, ESA's Dr. Holger Krag, DLR's Dr. Manuel Metz and BHO Legal's Katharina Prall join Space.Table's Nicola Kuhrt to confront the space-debris challenge — the scale of the threat, who's liable, and how mitigation, active removal and new law can keep our orbits usable.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/ila-2026-shell-games-in-orbit-why-we-still-dont-have-a-recognised-space-picture/ Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=75128 At ILA 2026, German Space Command's Maj. Gen. Michael Traut, OKAPI:Orbits' Kristina Nikolaus and Neuraspace's Chiara Manfletti join SpaceWatch.Global and Space.Table to ask whether orbit is catalogued or truly controlled — from maneuvering satellites and AI to space-traffic rules and Europe's risk culture.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/int-2026-foreword-day-dr-amanda-fetch-on-tackling-140-million-pieces-of-space-debris-with-ai/ Mon, 04 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73566 Torsten Kriening sits down with Dr. Amanda Fetch, winner of the 2025 GEOINT Poster Session, on Foreword Day at USGIF GEOINT 2026 in Aurora, Colorado.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/space-symposium-2026-comspoc-tracking-35000-objects-and-the-space-traffic-wake-up-call/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:30:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73208 COMSPOC highlights the growing challenge of managing space traffic, from tracking 35,000 objects to turning orbital data into actionable intelligence.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/space-symposium-2026-space-traffic-treaty-erosion-nuclear-reactors-on-the-moon/ Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73108 At Space Symposium 2026, Torsten Kriening spoke with Peter Martinez of the Secure World Foundation about the growing challenges of space traffic coordination, evolving legal frameworks, and the implications of expanding activity beyond Earth orbit.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/02/space-cafe-radio-geopolitics-space-situational-awareness-for-all-with-mahhad-nayyar/ Thu, 08 Feb 2024 09:00:23 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=53579 In this Space Café Radio Geopolitics, SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Mahhad Nayyer,  Astrodynamicist - Systems Engineer - Project Manager - Space Sustainability Enthusiast - Steward of Spaceship Earth. Mahhad Nayyer is a young Pakistani whom Torsten met first in the AIAA D12 - Diverse Dozen Cohort 2022 virtually. We were really impressed by Mahhad's work, so we invited him as a guest in our episode.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/10/register-today-for-our-space-cafe-33-minutes-with-paul-liias-on-18-october-2022-2/ Thu, 05 Oct 2023 16:00:02 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=51520 This Space Café WebTalk will feature Paul Liias, Head of Space policy at the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication, in conversation with Torsten Kriening, publisher of SpaceWatch.Global. Is space legal in Estonia and why should you come to Tallinn for Halloween? Paul Liias is the Head of Space policy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication. Paul has created the Estonian Space Policy and Program 2020-2027]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/06/german-okapiorbits-raises-e5-5-million-for-space-traffic-management-software/ Thu, 16 Jun 2022 06:00:06 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=41536 Software as a service startup, OKAPI: Orbits, has raised €5.5 million in a seed funding round led by San Francisco-based MunichRe Ventures for its software aiming to make space operations safer and more efficient. US firm, Dolby Family Ventures, European VCs Herius Capital and APEX Ventures and investors also participated in the round.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/03/register-today-for-our-space-cafe-33-minutes-with-catherine-kavvada-on-5-april-2022/ Mon, 28 Mar 2022 08:00:14 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=40090&preview=true&preview_id=40090 This Space Café WebTalk will feature Catherine Kavvada, Directorate General for Defence Industry and Space , in conversation with Torsten Kriening, publisher of SpaceWatch.Global. Secure connectivity and Space Traffic Management made by Europe. Catherine Kavvada is a trained lawyer with a degree in Law from the Univeristy of Athens]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/02/space-cafe-webtalk-with-dr-anna-christmann-green-space-is-not-an-oxymoron/ Wed, 23 Feb 2022 09:00:25 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=39452 During this week’s Space Café, SpaceWatch.Global Publisher Torsten Kriening had the opportunity chance to speak with Dr Anna Christmann – a German politician and Coordinator for Aerospace Policy at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, serving under the country’s new Chancellor, Olaf Scholz. Dr Christmann previously studied at the Universities of Heidelberg and Bern,]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/02/space-cafe-radio-on-tour-in-brussels-josef-aschbacher/ Sun, 06 Feb 2022 12:00:18 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=38959 In this Space Café Radio – on tour in Brussels at the 14th European Space Conference in the Egmont Palace, SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency ESA about the strategic accelerators, Space for a green future, Rapid and resilient crisis response and Protection of space assets.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/01/breton-sets-out-europes-2022-space-power-ambitions/ Wed, 26 Jan 2022 07:00:34 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=38771&preview=true&preview_id=38771 Europe has to accelerate the development of its space assets and architectures to “weigh in on the global stage”, the European commissioner for internal market, Thierry Breton, said. The commission will therefore launch the European Space Launcher Alliance, the "first ever" Space Partnership and a European Space & Defence Strategy, he said.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/12/spacewatchgl-opinion-about-space-traffic-management/ Fri, 31 Dec 2021 08:00:17 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=38241 The recent note verbale on two encounters between the Chinese space station and Starlink satellites has triggered a broader discussion on Space Traffic Management. But what do we actually mean by Space Traffic Management and what do we actually need? For many (including me), Space Traffic Management has a short-term and a long-term dimension.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/08/spacewatchgl-opinion-a-maritime-crisiss-contributions-to-the-field-of-space-traffic-management/ Thu, 05 Aug 2021 08:00:26 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=34931 In March of this year, the giant container vessel “Ever Given” disrupted global commerce when it was lodged into the bank of the Suez Canal for nearly a week. According to Reuters, about twelve percent of total global trade passes through this canal.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/07/spacewatchgl-opinion-gnosis-conference-the-case-for-sustainability-in-space/ Sun, 25 Jul 2021 08:00:41 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=34578 Space is changing – the near-Earth environment that was once principally used for largely strategic purposes by national governments is now increasingly being used for “tactical” applications by commercial companies. This creates a number of areas of potential contention – between different satellite operators competing for access to preferred orbital slots]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/06/spacewatchgl-share-outer-space-a-challenging-domain-for-ambitious-defence-strategy/ Wed, 30 Jun 2021 08:00:23 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=33473&preview=true&preview_id=33473 As part of the partnership between SpaceWatch.Global and Joint Air Power Competence Centre, we have been granted permission to publish selected articles and texts. We are pleased to present “Outer Space, a Challenging Domain for Ambitious Defence Strategy” by Dr Anne-Sophie Martin, originally published on the Joint Air Power Competence Centre website.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/06/spacewatchgl-opinion-the-rule-of-law-and-the-calls-for-regulating-space/ Wed, 23 Jun 2021 12:00:56 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=33890 by Valentin Eder The actual discourse and the call for regulations (or management) of space traffic seems to miss something fundamental which is the understanding of the 'Rule of Law' and the overview in the 'causal chain'. The rule of law: Following the 'Rule of Raw' / 'Theory of Justice' by John Rawls:]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/05/spacewatchgl-opinion-space-traffic-management-trends-2020-2021-and-beyond/ Fri, 28 May 2021 08:00:22 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=33028 Space is becoming increasingly congested. The European Space Agency (ESA) has estimated that there are currently 128 million pieces of debris smaller than 1cm, about 900,000 pieces of debris 1–10cm in length, and around 34,000 pieces larger than 10cm in Earth orbit. This is in addition to the approximately 3,300 currently operational satellites.]]>